Forbidden
by GentleRed
Summary: Regina and Maleficent's relationship, right from the beginning..
1. Late Night Meeting

_**((Lord knows I love DragonQueen, so I decided to make a little series of oneshots (can be stand alone, too) I wanted to write them right from their beginning, because, OF COURSE these lovely ladies had a relationship at some point..))**_

 **DragonQueen Oneshots**

 **Nightly Meeting**

Today had been another unfulfilling day.

So very, very unfulfilling.

Another day with Snow White trailing after her like a faithful puppy.

Sometimes Regina wondered why she didn't just wrap her hands around the girl's throat and squeezed. How shockingly easy that would be.

But no. She knew she couldn't do that. No. When Snow White's fate finally caught up with her, it would be something far more terrible than being choked.

Something _horrible_.

But right now, Regina had no clue what the horrible something was. She can't harm the girl right now, and she certainly can't make her childhood miserable. The little brat would tell her father immediately tell her father if Regina dared to speak one unkind word to her.

And being scrutinized by the king was the last thing Regina wanted. At the moment, he's away on royal duties somewhere, but when he _is_ at home, they ignore one another, and Regina preferred it that way.

Regina shifted on the bench. The royal garden had quickly become one of her favorite places to be when she's alone. She doesn't feel trapped as much when she's out here, and her apple tree reminds her of a different time. A happier time.

The air is balmy, almost too warm and humid to be outside, despite it being in the middle of the night. She should probably seek cover inside the chilled castle, but she can't sleep. Not very well, at least. She has a habit of waking up several times at night, often bathed in sweat and gasping for air.

Her waking hours are a nightmare. Why shouldn't her nights be it as well?

Regina subconsciously opens and closes her palm and is delighted to see a tiny flame erupt from her hand. She probably shouldn't feel so proud of herself though, she knows the little flame dancing in her palm is pathetic. Useless.

But it's the best she can do these days. Rumplestiltskin is in some sort of mood where he prefers to preach about magic and how astonishingly bad she is at it instead of actually _teaching_ her magic.

"Use your anger", he keeps telling her, and she _does_. But it's not working.

"Maybe you're not angry enough, dearie", he taunts her, and Regina wants to scream every time she hears him taunt her with that impish voice. Of _course_ she's angry. Angry and heartbroken.

Her magic lessons are going nowhere. And she still doesn't understand half of the spells in Mother's old spell book.

If only she had another option. Someone that wasn't Rumplestiltskin. Someone that didn't kept taunting her and drop hints about her "lovely little stepdaughter" all the time.

Regina sighs heavily. She's actually quite exhausted. She had another fruitless magic lesson with the imp today. One that ended with her screaming that he should "get the hell out of her castle". And Rumplestiltskin had done just that. But only after he had giggled manically and informed her that "this isn't _your_ castle, dearie".

As if he needed to remind her of that. She's been living here for two years, and she still feels like a stranger. A foreign guest. Or a very well-paid nanny for Snow White. Except for dreadful stepdaughter, she doesn't really talk with anyone here. She quickly discovered that the king and her had very little to talk about, and the chambermaids…. Well, they obey her every wish, but they never _talk_ to her. Except for the usual "good morning, your Majesty", and "goodnight, Your Majesty", none of them talk to her, and Regina has a nasty feeling that none of them thinks highly about her. Of course, she's aware what they say about her behind her back. "The child bride", "the teenage queen". But it's more than that. It's about who she's "replacing".

She's not Eva.

Beloved Queen Eva. Snow's mother and Leopold's first wife. The wife he's placed on a metaphorical pedestal. The wife he often toasts to for no reason. The wife whose birthday they still celebrate.

Regina isn't jealous. Why should she? But the implication in his words are still crystal clear and stings quite a bit: she'll never be as good or as well loved as Eva. She'll always be a poor substitute for the real thing.

She's competing with a ghost every single day. Always second best.

Regina doesn't know for how long she's been sitting in the same position on the garden bench, lost in her own head, but suddenly she sees something that makes her head snap up.

It's Johanna, Snow's nursemaid, and Regina decides to make a hasty retreat. She doesn't need Johanna to see her here and wonder about "the queen's strange habit of sitting outside in the middle of the night".

Regina gathers her skirts with one hand and slips quietly and unseen into the castle. It's so quiet in here. Except for Johanna, everybody must be asleep. Regina quickly peers into Snow's chamber and finds the girl peacefully asleep, most likely dreaming of flowery fields and unicorns.

Regina pauses for a moment and takes in the sight of Snow, sleeping innocently with her dark hair spread over the pillow. There was a time where Regina would have sworn that she could never hate a child. But then she remembers what Snow White cost her, and her vision reddens with real, genuine hate.

Sometimes she balks at her own thoughts. Sometimes she's afraid of what she's turning into. But never for long enough to think about changing anything.

Regina leaves the girl to her dreams and spins around on her heel to retire to her own chamber. She's halfway down the hallway when Johanna passes her. The nursemaid curtsies and utters a polite: "Your Majesty."

"Johanna." Regina acknowledges and walks past the elderly woman.

It's always the same. The same curtsies and "Your Majesty's" and Regina is sick of it. It's like she's here, but she's not. She's just a shell. A puppet, made for standing by Leopold's side and smile whenever someone is looking at her.

Sometimes the thought of revenge isn't even enough to pull her out of these dark thoughts, and Regina fears that this is gonna be another sleepless night.

Regina mechanically undoes the strings in her dress and slips out of it. She steps out of her shoes and finds one of her nightgowns in the closet. It's not much of a nightgown, really, more like a scrap of silk being held together by a few straps, but it's light and airy, so it'll have to do for tonight.

Once she's changed into the nightgown, she spends a moment at the vanity table, releases her braid and brushes her long, dark hair. Regina huffs a little when she gazes at her own reflection. Sometimes she feels like a child, with adult hairstyles, and dressed in adult clothing.

 _I was never meant for this life_. _I was never meant to be queen_.

Regina sets the hairbrush down on the vanity table and slips into the bed. She should probably enjoy the plush comfort of the mattress and pillows and silk sheet underneath her, but her head is swimming with dark thoughts about revenge mixed with Daniel's perfect smile, and suddenly _nothing_ seems comfortable.

Sleeping forever would be comfortable. Going to sleep one night and simply never waking up again would be comfortable.

But she knows she can't do that either. Her father, her sweet Daddy would be devastated. She's all he has, and he is all she has. It would destroy him if she disappeared. Sometimes she wonders if Snow would mourn her? Not like she mourned her mother, of course not. But would she actually mourn her if Regina died?

Regina's muddled thoughts is suddenly interrupted when she realizes that her cheeks are wet. She glides her fingertips over the skin almost surprised. When did she start crying? Was she perhaps already crying when she sat in the garden? Was that why Johanna looked at her like that?

Either way this is embarrassing. Only weak girls cry, that's what her mother always told her. Regina bites her lip in an attempt to stall herself, but the treacherous tears keeps falling. She kicks the covers to the side and searches through her nightstand drawer after a handkerchief, but she finds none. Maybe she left it in her closet instead.

Regina wipes her cheeks with the back of her hand and shuffles into a sitting position. She needs her handkerchief, and she has to leave the bed in order to get it.

She never makes it out of bed. Suddenly a white handkerchief is stretched out towards her, and Regina looks up in surprise. She didn't exactly expect company in the middle of the night, and the next second her mouth falls open when she sees _who_ is offering her the handkerchief.

Maleficent is standing right next to her, and Regina wonders for _how_ long she's been standing there. Her first impulse is to ask her what in the world she thinks she's doing, barging in like that, but then she remembers that that's exactly what she did herself when they first met.

But that was different. That was in broad daylight. This is the middle of the night, and Maleficent is in her bedchambers. For some reason, Regina finds that to be oddly inappropriate. And suddenly she feels rather exposed. She's only met Maleficent twice. This is strange. Why is she showing up in the middle of the night?

Maleficent once again silently waves the handkerchief in front of Regina, clearly an invitation to take it, so Regina does, and she quickly wipes her cheeks with it.

"Thank you." She says, because she can't think of anything else to say.

"Why are you crying, little queen?"

Being called "little queen" touches a nerve, but Regina ignores it and simply shrugs.

"Well?" Maleficent presses. ,,Why are you crying?"

Regina ignores that too. Instead she asks: "What are you doing here?"

Now it's Maleficent who shrugs. "I wanted to visit you."

"Why?"

"Why _not_?" Maleficent retorts.

"It's the middle of the night." Regina points out.

Yes, indeed," Maleficent replies rather careless.

Regina isn't sure what to make of the blonde's _staring_. There's that odd feeling of exposure again, and she drops the handkerchief and pulls the covers up to her chest.

That seems to amuse the other woman, and her voice is bubbling with something when she eyes Regina and asks: "Are you afraid of me?"

Regina considers her answer. She wasn't afraid when she met Maleficent for the first time, true, the woman had threaded to eat her, but she had seemed more unstable that intimidating. And during their second meeting, they had battled King Stefan. Well, Maleficent had done most of the work, and then she had let Regina ride on her back.

"Do I have a reason to be?" Regina finally lands on.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

Regina nods once but doesn't release the covers. Maleficent is still staring at her, and Regina isn't sure if she should feel uncomfortable or… something she can't quite name.

"Why are you here?" Regina asks after a pause, because she can't for the life of her think of any reason _why_ Maleficent should come and visit her in the middle of the night.

"Well…" the bed dips slightly as Maleficent nonchalantly sits down next to Regina, and Regina shifts and shuffles away to create at least _some_ distance between them. A strange habit the dragon has, invading Regina's personal space like that.

"You never came back," Maleficent continues.

"Pardon?"

"I waited for you to come and visit me again, and you didn't. Why?" Maleficent asks plainly.

"Oh... I…" Regina wasn't expecting this. Of all the reasons as to why Maleficent chose to show up in the middle of the night, this simple question was _not_ one of them.

"Did I frighten you?" Maleficent asks and brushes a golden strand of hair behind her ear. There's amusement in her voice, and something else Regina can't quite name. Concern, perhaps.

" _No_ ," Regina says firmly. "I've just been… busy." That's the truth. She _has_ been busy. With acting as Snow's nanny and the king's lifeless porcelain doll of a wife.

"Ah. _Busy_. With what, exactly?" Maleficent prods and shifts in her cross-legged position to look at Regina.

"I happen to have commitments here, and…" Regina motions towards the spell book on her nightstand. "I have my studies."

"And how are your studies coming along?" Maleficent inquires, and Regina silently wonders what spurred this sudden interest.

"Not very good." The brunette admits and a tiny smile tugs at her lips. "But that's probably my own fault, Rumplestiltskin thinks I'm too impatient, and..."

"How old are you?" Maleficent interrupts her rambling and gives Regina another look with her head tilted to the side.

"I'm… Twenty." Regina says and raises an eyebrow. This conversation is getting more and more strange with each passing moment.

"Only twenty," Maleficent muses, more to herself than to Regina. "So young…"

"Twenty-one in six months!" Regina indignantly retorts. Why is it that everyone has to comment on how young she is all the time?

Maleficent laughs quietly, but Regina fails to see what's so funny, and she glares at the other woman.

"It's getting late, and I'm very tired so if you don't mind…" Regina half-snaps in her best queen-voice. The one she normally uses with her servants.

That only seems to amuse Maleficent even more, and Regina grows more and more tired of this absurd "no reason" visit. The brunette ignores Maleficent and gets out of bed. She pours herself a glass of water from the decanter as she wonders just _how_ to get rid of her unwanted, late night visitor. She _could_ for the guards, but that probably wouldn't be a good idea. Maleficent is a dragon, and god knows what she would do to the guards if they tried to forcibly remove her.

Regina yelps in surprise when she turns around. Maleficent is standing inches from her. Very much invading her personal space _again_. God, _why_ does she keep doing that?

"I'm sorry," Maleficent says surprisingly sincerely. "I shouldn't have laughed at you."

"Why do you keep doing that?" Regina asks.

"What?"

Regina isn't quite sure how to explain it, so instead she motions with her hands, indicating the _very little_ space between them. "That."

"Does it bother you?"

Regina has to consider that one. _Does_ it bother her? Well, it does _something_ , that's for sure. It…. It _flusters_ her, that's what it does. The real question is, _why_ does it fluster her? Maleficent is just a woman like herself, right? So why does it fluster her when she's standing a bit too close?

And _why_ is she blushing when she asks herself these questions? Regina doesn't know what to answer, so instead she simply looks down at her hands and takes a step back. She chews nervously at her bottom lip as she fiddles with her hands.

Maleficent smiles. Wider, this time, and Regina can't see what's amusing. She shouldn't be amused when Regina is feeling this… _odd_.

"I'll leave," Maleficent announces, still grinning.

Regina nods, feeling nothing but pure relief.

" _If_..." Maleficent continues.

"If _what_?" Regina says hesitantly.

"If you promise to come and visit me again."

Regina's brows knit together. Why is it so important for Maleficent that she comes and visit her? The two previous times, Maleficent had acted like it was a bother. Like Regina was irritating her with her mere presence.

"I enjoy your company; my castle gets terribly lonely."

 _Oh._ Loneliness. Regina can emphasize with that. Loneliness is something she understands very well.

She nods once, as to indicate their "deal" is struck.

"Promise me," Maleficent insists.

"I promise."

"Excellent. Don't forget."

And just like that, she's gone, and Regina is alone in her bed chambers once more. For some strange reason, Regina feels a bit _dizzy_ when she returns to her bed. And she still doesn't understand why Maleficent chose to visit her in the middle of the night…

 _ **To Be Continued?**_

( **Yay or nay? I admit, I had fun describing Regina as naïve and clueless..)**


	2. Lake Meeting

**DragonQueen Oneshots**

 **Lake Meeting:**

Regina had every intention of keeping her promise to Maleficent, but her royal duties and the endless hours with Snow keeps getting in the way, so in the end it's Maleficent who finds her again.

The king was still away on his two weeks journey to a nearby kingdom, and Snow White had clung to Regina like the plague. The twelve-year-old had absolutely no understanding for Regina's need to be alone, and the girl often voiced her concern for Regina's "moodiness" as she called it.

 _Moodiness_. Regina had almost snorted at that. How wonderful it must be to be so clueless all the time. Regina would have sold her soul to live in the same state of oblivion. To live in the delusion that the world really was flower fields and unicorns and getting everything served on a plate the moment you needed it.

But on this particular afternoon, Regina had managed to get away from the castle. She had told Snow she had a headache- an excuse she used more and more often these days- and then she had snuck off. Had used one of the castles many, many doors to escape from the cluttered palace. She had walked with no particular destination and ended up at a lake not far from the castle. But far enough to be secluded and alone. God forbid Snow should find her here. The girl would only contaminate this place with her ridiculous, sweet laughter and "isn't it wonderful, stepmother?"

 _Yes, dear. Very lovely indeed_.

Regina sighs in relief. She should take the time to come here more often. Maybe she could come here at night? She hardly ever sleeps, so why not take advance of that and come here instead?

This place is nice. Very nice. The weather feels warm, despite it only being early spring, and the water- Regina tested it with her fingertips earlier- feels nice too. Nice and warm.

Too warm to let this opportunity slip away. Regina quickly unlaces her boots and kicks them off. She carefully raises her skirts, just a bit, and then she lets her bare feet sink into the water. It prickles and makes goosebumps appear on her ankles, but only for a moment. It doesn't take long before it just feels nice and warm.

Regina inhales slowly and releases her hair from the silly up-do she's been donning that day. The tight bun irritates her scalp and makes her head hurt slightly. She prefers her hair like this. Loose and flowy. It reminds her of the days spent in the sun with Daniel. Happier days.

She runs her finger through her hair again and again until all the tangles are gone, and then she leans back. It was her intention to just sit with her head tilted back for a moment, but the sun feels so nice on her skin, so she ends up leaning further and further back until she's lying in the grass with her feet still in the water.

Regina chuckles a little to herself, she _is_ still capable of laughing after all. If Mother could see her now, she would undoubtedly scold Regina for lying in the grass in her dress, but Regina doesn't care. She's alone.

Or is she?

Regina, who had been in the process of hiking her skirts up slightly to soak up the sunlight, stops what she's doing and listens. She could have sworn she heard something. A slight rustling. She waits and listens. Nothing. Hmm. Perhaps it was some sort of animal.

She resumes her task and hikes her skirts up to her knees, then she leans back once more, lying comfortably in the soft grass. The sun is warming up her skin, already making her olive skin glow slightly. If she stays here long enough, her cheeks will definitely get a nice glow.

Regina runs a finger through her hair. She doesn't care one bit about the grass and small leaves tangling into her hair. She can always get rid of those later, before she heads back to the castle.

This is truly glorious. A moment of peace. No royal duties needing her attention, and no Snow, acting like an immature child, tugging at her hands, craving her full and prompt attention. The girl is almost thirteen. She should be able to entertain herself instead of depending on Regina all the time.

Regina frowns and closes her fingers around the grass. Sometimes she can _hear_ Snow's voice in her head, saying "come, stepmother," over and over again.

No. She refuses to think of Snow White right now. That wretched girl has already cost her enough. She can't let her take away her sense of peace too. She won't let the darkness win. At least not right now.

She slowly loosens the grip on the grass in her hand and relaxes her fingers once more. Her eyelids slides closed. Perhaps she could fall asleep here, right now, bathed in sunlight. Her head lolls to the side as her neck relaxes.

 _Creak._

Regina opens her eyes at the sound and yelps, half in terror, half in surprise.

Maleficent is hovering above her, looking down at her. She doesn't look threading in any way, but Regina thought she was alone, and now she discovers that the last person she'd expected is standing here and watching her. Much like the last time, Regina wonders for _how_ long the dragon sorceress has been standing there.

"My apologies," Maleficent immediately offers. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

Regina brushes that off. She _isn't_ scared. But surprised about opening her eyes and seeing Maleficent looming above her? Yes, indeed.

"Are you spying on me?" Regina asks and raises an eyebrow. It's a very fair assumption. Why else should Maleficent be here? The Dark Fortress isn't exactly nearby.

Maleficent smiles but doesn't answer the question. The sorceress sits down next to Regina, and Regina quickly attempts to push herself into a sitting position as well.

"You don't have to sit up on my behalf," Maleficent says calmly, but Regina prefers that. Again, she feels oddly _exposed_ like this. At least she's not wearing her nightgown this time.

"What are you doing here?" Regina asks, much like their last encounter.

"You haven't visited me yet." Maleficent states matter of factly.

"So you decided to visit me instead?"

"Yes."

Regina steals a glance at the other woman. Maleficent doesn't look very intimidating in her light, purple gown and with her hair flowing freely around her face. In fact, Regina finds it difficult to believe that this is the dreaded Mistress of all Evil, the feared dragon sorceress.

Maleficent turns her head and smirks a little. Regina realizes that she's been staring rather unabashedly at the other woman, and she quickly tears her gaze away and looks at the water instead. What business does she have staring at Maleficent? None. Absolutely none. She doesn't even know _why_ she was staring in the first place.

"Anything the matter?" Maleficent asks a rather long pause.

"No, I'm fine." is Regina's automatic response.

"Are you sure? You're awfully quiet," Maleficent observes.

"I'm just a little tired." Another automatic response, but it's true nevertheless.

"Ah. Is that why you haven't come and visited me yet?"

"Oh, I…"

"Or perhaps you didn't want to?" Maleficent calmly interrupts her.

"No, I _did_ ," Regina emphasizes. "I just… Had trouble getting out."

"Well, if _that's_ the problem, you could have told me at once. There are spells for that sort of thing."

"That sort of thing?" Regina echoes.

"To make your absence go unnoticed," Maleficent explains.

"Oh. Do you think you could make "my absence go unnoticed" all the time?" Regina half-quips. She only means it as a joke, but Maleficent looks completely serious as she says: "No. I'm afraid not."

Regina is careful to shrug as if it doesn't really matter. She turns her head against the sun and closes her eyes again.

Suddenly she feels Maleficent's fingers in her hair, and her head instantly jerks forward at the touch.

"Grass." Maleficent says plainly and shows Regina the tiny straws in her palm as evidence.

"Oh."

Maleficent's fingers returns to Regina's hair and she continues to pluck the tiny grass straws and leaves out of the brunette's hair.

Regina tries to breathe very, very softly, but that's difficult for some reason. She's not sure why, but her chest seems to rise and fall quicker than usual. What in the world is happening? Maybe she's been sitting too long in the sun. She feels warm. And not comfortably warm like before. Too warm. Like her skin is burning.

Maybe… Maybe she's getting sick. Yes, that must be it. Oh well, if that's the case, she will have a fine excuse to stay away from Snow for the next couple of days.

Maleficent pushes her hair slightly to the side, and her fingertips brushes lightly against the back of Regina's neck.

Regina is positive that the touch is unintentional, a mere accident. And she doesn't quite understand _why_ her breathing has become erratic and her muscles feels like liquid in her body. She feels… She feels… _something_. Something she can't find a proper word for. It feels… _good_. Only better than good. It feels… It feels…

Regina instantly jerks away from the touch. "Snow White is looking for me. I should go."

She quickly gets back on her feet, clumsily pulls her boots on again and ties her hair back into a bun.

Maleficent watches her, and the sorceress seems amused once more. That really is a strange thing. Why is she amused when Regina feels strange and out of place?

"Come and visit me." Maleficent says and echoes her own words.

Regina doesn't trust her voice, so she simply nods once. But she isn't sure she will do it, though. Not if their every meeting is gonna end like this. With her, feeling strange and oddly flustered...

 _ **To Be Continued…?**_


	3. A Meeting in the Rain

**DragonQueen Oneshots**

 **A meeting in the rain:**

She isn't quite sure what to make of the way Maleficent was touching her, and more importantly, she isn't sure what to make of her own reaction to the touch. She more than once catches herself thinking about the way the sorceress' fingertips brushed against her skin, and then she silently scolds herself for being silly and not concentrating on what's important, her magic studies and her plan of getting her revenge.

But the touch had felt _good_. Almost liquefying. Yes, liquefying. Like her muscles had turned into jelly.

Today had been a rather quiet day. Regina had spent most of the day reading in the library. She had been blessedly alone, the king had taken Snow with him to a nearby town, on an "official" visit. Apparently, the young princess had been asked to consecrate some new statue. Regina didn't know of what exactly, perhaps a statue of Snow White herself? The girl had asked Regina repeatedly to join them, but Regina had declined, said she had a headache again. Today, the excuse had worked, but other times the king "insist" that she comes with them.

There is no fitting excuse to not be present tonight though. King Leopold is hosting a ball to mark the date. Today, is apparently the anniversary for the date he met queen Eva for the first time, and of course, that calls for celebration. And Regina is expected to be there. To honor her predecessor. Another ball where's she's expected to sit and smile and answer politely when spoken to, but otherwise pretend to be a doll. Another ball where no one talks to her, no one approaches her, no one asks her to dance. Another ball where she will be sitting, sipping her wine and watching Snow and the king dance.

At least she has the end of the evening to look forward to. Regina knows exactly how that's gonna end. With a nice, large glass of wine in her bedchambers. Maybe she'll even get drunk enough to actually get some sleep.

Regina slams the book shut. The story she told about having a headache wasn't a complete lie after all. The words in this book makes her head throb slightly. She understands some of it, but not enough for her spells to actually succeed. And Rumplestiltskin isn't of much help. He preaches instead of teaches, claims that her head is "elsewhere". An accusation Regina immediately denies and firmly dismisses as nonsense. Her head is _not_ elsewhere. Her focus is exactly where it needs to be, so how dare he accuse her of the opposite? _She_ is not the problem, he is. He's the one that insists on preaching about magic instead of actually teaching her something.

Maybe she needs a new teacher. A _better_ teacher.

Regina decides to give up on the books today. Her head hurts, and she tends to get snappy whenever she has a headache. She can't be snappy when Snow returns. That would only rouse suspicion.

Spring is really setting in, and everything is blooming outside. Maybe a bit of fresh air wouldn't be such a bad idea. It would definitely clear her head. Regina stands from the wooden chair and carries the books back to her bedchambers. She's careful to hide the books away in the back of her closet. She can't be certain, but she has a hunch that Snow sometimes comes into her chamber and plays with her jewels and looks at her dresses. She is not too fond of that thought, and more than once she has asked Snow to stay away from her room when Regina isn't there, but clearly the girl doesn't get the message.

Regina brushes a hand over her blue dress and finds her cloak amongst all of her dresses inside the too-big closet. She decides to leave her hair as is it, hanging loosely down her back. There's no reason to put her hair up, she's just herself. There's no one around to tell her that it's an unsuitable hairstyle for a queen.

She doesn't have a particular destination in mind. She just nonchalantly walks around. Her mother would have called it "straying", and clicked her tongue, saying that she feared "it is an odd characteristic you have there, Regina. It's unsuitable for a lady to walk around alone".

But Mother isn't here anymore. And Regina doesn't feel very much like a lady. A woman forced to grow up too soon, yes, but not a lady, and definitely not a _queen_. She feels as if she's playing a part. Exactly like she's been doing her whole life. First as Cora's obedient daughter, and now as Snow White's devoted stepmother and king Leopold's obedient, soft spoken wife. Made for being by his side, hanging by his arm, and be pretty but silent.

Regina's face twists a little and she walks faster, nearly tripping over a hidden root in the grass. Sometimes, if she walks far enough, she can escape her own mind, but it doesn't appear to be the case today.

She doesn't slow down until she can't see the castle anymore. That's when her breathing finally slows down. It's like, if she can't _see_ the castle, her life inside it doesn't exist either. A childish illusion, but nevertheless one that works.

Regina looks out over the faraway mountains, wonders for a moment how long it would take her to cross them. How long before anyone would notice that she was gone.

Suddenly she notices the drops of water falling on her skin, and she listens to the soft pitter patter of rain. _Drip, drap, drip, drap._ The sky is no longer clear blue, dark clouds pushes the sun away, and Regina smiles a little when she hears the first rumble of thunder. A lightening zigzags across the darkened sky, and she hears another crash of thunder. Then comes the rain. It's not just light spring rain anymore, it _pours_. Regina seeks cover underneath a large oak tree, but it doesn't help much. The rain quickly seeps through her cape, soaks her dress and drenches her hair, but Regina doesn't care one bit. She barely notices it, doesn't even feel cold. She's far too busy watching the lightening on the sky. Even as a child, she never feared thunder. Instead she made up stories about _why_ it was thundering. Now the thunder, the flashing lightnings reminds her of magic. Magic bolting across the sky like an angry beast looking for vengeance on those who wronged him. Regina imagines that this, this terrible noise and howling in the trees is exactly what will greet Snow White one day. Snow is terrified of thunder. More than once, Regina has been woken up to the girl knocking on her door with a frightened expression on her face. For the most, Regina sweetly sits by the child's bedside, soothing away her fears until she's asleep, but secretly, Regina takes pleasure in the girl's terror. She _enjoys_ it. Relishes in it. And sometimes, that frightens her. That she thrives on watching a young girl shaking in terror. One some days, Regina is shocked about her own thoughts.

But not right now. Right now, the thought of a terrified Snow White, being chased through the woods by a roaring monster, makes Regina _laugh_. Actually laugh. It's been a while since she laughed like this, so freely.

There's another loud crash of thunder, and the rain comes down even harder. Regina giggles as she steps out of her shelter. The rain on her skin feels strangely liberating. She for once feels _alive_ , and she undoes the strings on her cape, pushes it off her shoulders and shrieks when hard drops of rain come into contact with her upper arms.

 _How liberating. How wonderful_. It takes Regina a second to realize that she feels _free_ as she stands here in the rain.

"Have you lost your mind, girl?!"

Regina doesn't yelp this time, but her voice still takes her by surprise. She reluctantly turns around and finds Maleficent walking towards her, dressed in a hooded cloak. If it hadn't been for her voice, Regina probably wouldn't have recognized her.

Maleficent removes the hood when she reaches Regina, and she clicks her tongue almost disappointedly. "What on earth are you doing out here?"

"Enjoying the rain," Regina says plainly and shrugs.

Maleficent clicks her tongue again, shakes her head and grabs Regina's arm rather suddenly, leading her back under the oak tree.

"You'll get pneumonia," the older woman scowls.

"I doubt it," Regina replies and shrugs again. She turns her attention back to the uneasy sky and tries to ignore the fact that the dragon sorceress is looking at her _again_.

"Are you out of your mind?" Maleficent asks plainly, but not unkindly.

"Sometimes I think that's the case," Regina says honestly and shrugs for the third time that day.

"You are far from home," Maleficent observes. "What ever caused you take a walk in _this_ weather?"

"It wasn't raining when I left." Regina defends, and Maleficent chuckles quietly.

"So the weather took you by surprise?"

"Yes."

"You respond oddly to surprises."

"I don't know about that," Regina says and pushes her wet hair away from her face. "The first two times you surprised me, I think my reactions were fairly normal."

"I didn't startle you this time?"

"No."

"Good. I have no desire to frighten you."

"Why are _you_ out here?" Regina asks. Maleficent has already asked her a dozen of questions, she will have to give _some_ back. She was practically accusing Regina of being reckless.

" _I'm_ not far from home," Maleficent says quietly and smiles a little.

"Oh." That's true. The Forbidden Fortress isn't very far from here. Regina laughs once she realizes her mistake.

"I heard you."

"Pardon?"

"I heard you laughing." Maleficent explains and her eyes sparkles.

Regina feels the heat shoot up in her cheeks and she chews nervously on her bottom lip. The thought of someone hearing her giggling like a mad person is terribly embarrassing, and the thought of _Maleficent_ hearing her giggling like a mad person is even worse. _And why is that_? _What's so special about her_?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"What were laughing about?"

"W-what?"

"What was amusing you?"

"I don't know, I can't recall," Regina lies and avoids all eye contact with the other woman. Why is she so interested? Why is she asking her so many questions?

The thunder slowly subsides until its just a faint rumble in the distance, and the blue sky peeks out behind the dark clouds.

"I think the storm is over. I should go."

She has every intention of leaving, but Maleficent grabs her arm again and stops her rather effectively. Regina immediately flinches. She isn't used to this. And she doesn't understand _why_ Maleficent keeps touching her at every opportunity.

"I can't let you wander all the way home like _that_ ," Maleficent says, wrinkles her nose as she gestures to Regina's wet cloak and dress.

"I'll change before anyone notice."

"I don't care whether someone will _notice_ it or not," Maleficent half-snaps. ,,I'm thinking about your _health_. You'll end up getting a fever."

"I'll change first thing when I get back."

"You still have to walk all the way in those wet clothes," Maleficent states calmly.

She has a point there.

"My castle isn't far from here. Stay for a while, dry off, get warm. Then you can go home."

Regina nods. She _did_ after all promise to visit Maleficent, and this is the perfect opportunity to keep her promise.

"Come." Maleficent says plainly, and Regina silently follows her.

Maleficent was right, her castle isn't very far from the forest, and it doesn't take them long to reach it. In contrast to Regina's two previous visits, the castle is surprisingly warm today. And not quite as messy as the last time either. _And_ the fireplace is lit up by flickering flames.

"I decided it was time to clean up," Maleficent says, and reads Regina's mind completely.

Regina nods, and Maleficent waves her fingers once, and Regina immediately feels how her dress and cloak slowly starts drying.

"You could have done that in the forest."

Maleficent's smile widens. "You should sit in front of the fireplace."

Regina undoes the strings in her cloak, shrugs it off and sits down on the mountain of cushions in front of the fireplace.

"Do you drink?"

"Yes," Regina says plainly. She's going to drink tonight, that's for sure. She might as well start now.

Maleficent hands her what appears to be a glass of wine and Regina takes a small sip. "Thank you."

Maleficent raises her own glass in mock gratitude and takes a sip.

Regina brushes a finger through her now slightly-damp hair. The warmth from the fireplace feels nice. Very nice.

"Much?" Maleficent asks, and Regina doesn't understand what she's referring to.

"Pardon?"

"Do you drink much?"

"I drink when I need to."

"And when _do_ you need to?"

"Tonight, most likely."

"Why tonight?"

"The king is hosting a ball in honor of his late wife- late _first_ wife," Regina corrects herself.

"Why is he doing that?"

"To mark the anniversary for their first meeting."

Maleficent raises an eyebrow, and her mouth is nothing more than a thin line when she sits down next to Regina. The disgust is obvious in her face, but Regina doesn't comment on it. She's used to hearing the same stories about kind queen Eva over and over again.

"More wine?" Maleficent offers.

"Yes, thank you."

They sip their wine in silence for a while, and Regina wonders what the meaning is with all this. Was this what Maleficent had in mind when she asked Regina to come back? To sit and drink wine in front of the fireplace? Not that Regina minds, it just seems a bit odd.

Maleficent _could_ have used that drying spell in the forest instead of insisting that Regina came here, so why didn't she?

Regina's train of confused thoughts is interrupted when Maleficent suddenly takes her hand between her own. Regina blinks. What is she _doing_?

"Your hands are still cold." Maleficent observes.

"They are always cold." Regina says and swallows _something_ when Maleficent goes from holding her hand to actually _caress_ it instead. She runs her fingertips up and down the back of Regina's hand, and Regina once again feels how her heart speeds up. Maleficent gently traces her fingers over Regina's wrist.

"I…"

"What?" Maleficent encourages gently.

"I… don't understand you." Regina says after a moment of consideration.

Maleficent flashes her a smile but doesn't react to Regina's statement.

"I don't understand why you're doing this," Regina mumbles and stares stubbornly into the fire as Maleficent keeps petting her wrist.

Maleficent chuckles. "You're very sweet."

Regina raises an eyebrow. Sweet, _sweet_? What's that supposed to mean? Normally, Regina would have taken it for a compliment, but there's something in the _way_ Maleficent says it. It's almost a bit… mocking.

"You've never been touched like this, have you?" Maleficent asks almost nonchalantly.

Regina opens her mouth to dismiss that. She _has_ been touched like this before.

Except she hasn't.

There was never really time whenever she and Daniel had their secret, stolen meetings, and the king, well… he projects his affection onto Snow, and only Snow.

"Why do you ask me that?" she says and answers Maleficent's question with another question.

"As I said, I find you interesting."

"I don't understand you," Regina says again.

Maleficent doesn't answer that. Instead she lets go of Regina's wrist, and Regina is finally able to breathe normally again.

"How are your magic lessons going?" the blonde sorceress inquires.

"Not well." Regina admits. "Rumplestiltskin seems more interested in preaching and taunting than teaching me something."

Maleficent chuckles lightly and says: "Come back in two days. _I'll_ teach you."

"You would do that?" Regina asks disbelievingly and raises an eyebrow. "But you said you…"

"I had a change of heart," Maleficent waves her off. "And as I said, I enjoy your company. What's the harm in doing something sensible with the time you're spending here?"

"Okay." Regina says, but she honest to god has a hard time keeping up with Maleficent's change of mood.

"That's settled then. Two days." Maleficent says as Regina rises from the floor and puts on her cloak.

"Two days." Regina confirms.

"Don't forget."

"I won't."

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	4. Magic Lessons

**DragonQueen Oneshots**

 **Magic Lessons:**

Magic lessons with Maleficent is entirely different from what Regina is used to. She's not preaching much, and she's far more patient than Rumplestiltskin. She doesn't taunt or push Regina's buttons. In fact, she's _kind_. Kinder than Regina ever had expected she could be. She's surprisingly gentle, a stark contrast to Rumplestiltskin's taunting nature.

And Regina is slowly but steadily making progress.

Her fireballs are still weak, but simpler spells like that drying spell and teleporting from room to room, that she can do. She can't yet teleport a longer distance, but she's convinced she'll learn that soon.

Maleficent has proven to be a far better teacher than Regina expected, and she's tempted to think of her as a better teacher than Rumplestiltskin himself. But it's not just the lessons that interests Regina. It's Maleficent. Regina enjoys her company. She's not this terribly dangerous creature Regina heard tales of, but she isn't the wobbling, unstable woman Regina met the first time either. She's _funny_. More than one time, Regina has caught herself laughing over something Maleficent said, and that had shocked her. It's so foreign to laugh.

And another thing is, that Maleficent always encourages Regina to talk. That's foreign too. Regina has been raised to not speak unless spoken to, and in her new role as queen, she isn't exactly encouraged to speak her mind. But Maleficent plainly shoves all that aside and insists that Regina tells her everything about her less than interesting day. Often, Regina hasn't a lot of news to tell her, but Maleficent somehow manages to squeeze every little detail out of her. Every dull moment of Regina's day.

"I'm talking too much, aren't I?" Regina asks one late afternoon in Maleficent's castle, when they're taking a short break from the lessons.

"No, no, not at all. Do go on. I enjoy listening to you," Maleficent claims.

So Regina goes on, she keeps talking, and Maleficent doesn't interrupt her once, she simply listens and waits until Regina is finished before she sits down next to Regina with two glasses of wine in her hands. She hands one of the glasses to Regina.

"Thank you." Regina says as she takes the glass.

"Sweet for my sweet," Maleficent quietly quips with that little gleam in her eyes Regina doesn't quite understand.

The wine is actually surprisingly sweet, Maleficent was right about that, and Regina enjoys the crisp taste on her lips. This wine is far better than the wine she drinks at her own castle. She never enjoyed the taste of the wine they drink at king Leopold's castle. It's far too bitter.

"Is the wine satisfying, Your Majesty?" Maleficent asks, and Regina's mouth twists. She doesn't like it when Maleficent refers to her by title. It feels as she's speaking to a stranger, and not to Regina. She doesn't want to be "Your Majesty" when she's here. That's one of the many reasons she keeps coming back. Here, she's just "Regina", and not "Your Majesty".

"I'm sorry," Maleficent immediately amends. "I truly meant no harm."

"I know that," Regina is quick to say, but she silently wonders whether she'll ever feel comfortable with her role as queen.

Maleficent suddenly reaches across the pillows and grasps Regina's hand. Regina has learned not to flinch when she does that, but she still wonders _why_ Maleficent keeps doing it. It's odd, but it doesn't feel that strange anymore.

"Keep talking," Maleficent encourages.

"I fear I talk to much."

"Quite the contrary, my dear."

Regina smiles a little and takes another sip of the wine.

"Don't you ever talk to the king?" Maleficent asks, and Regina wonders where _that_ came from.

"God, no," she laughs dryly. "I'm afraid my husband and I don't have a lot of things to talk about."

"What _do_ you do, then? You and your… _husband_."

The word is practically dripping with sarcasm, and Regina laughs again. It would appear that she has found someone who isn't terrible fond of the king either.

"We…" Regina considers for a moment. " _Acknowledges_ one another when our paths cross in the hallway."

"But you never talk?"

"Only at official events or whenever Snow is present," Regina shrugs and takes another sip of the wine.

"He never shows you interest?"

"Interest?" Regina repeats and raises an eyebrow.

Maleficent takes a sip of her wine and asks plainly: "He doesn't share your bed?"

Regina chokes on her wine, and she blushes ferociously. What kind of question is _that_? And the thought of the king sharing her bed isn't a very pleasant one either. Of all the things he could demand from her, this is the one thing Regina hopes he'll _never_ ask of her. The thought of being taken to bed by the king is making her stomach churn. The brief, close mouthed kiss they shared at the wedding ceremony was quite enough.

She remembers that Maleficent is waiting for an answer, and it isn't very polite to ignore a question. But Regina can't get her voice to obey, so she simply shakes her head.

Maleficent's eyebrows raises towards her hairline. "Never?"

"Never," Regina mumbles and pries her hand out of Maleficent's grasp. The subject is embarrassing her. She doesn't desire that kind of relationship with the king, but she's aware that _this_ isn't how a marriage is supposed to be. You're supposed to marry for love, to be in love with your husband. Regina had always imagined that she would marry for love. She had sworn that she wouldn't end up like her parents. Their marriage had been loveless, Regina knows this. In fact, she can't remember ever seeing her parents show affection for each other. And here she is, copying it. She ended up exactly like them. Stuck in a loveless marriage.

"I don't think the king is interested in that kind of relationship with me," Regina says after a while. "And to speak frankly, I'm grateful he isn't."

"I need more wine," Maleficent says abruptly. "Would you like some more?"

"No thank you. If I drink more I won't be able to concentrate on the lesson," Regina says, eager to turn Maleficent's attention elsewhere. She had enough talk of her marriage for today.

"Ah yes, the _lesson_. That is why we're here, isn't it?" Maleficent smiles.

Regina nods.

They return to the lesson, but Regina is struggling for some reason. Maybe it's the wine, or maybe it's the subject they've just discussed, but either way, _nothing_ is happening when she tries to create a fireball, and she quickly grows frustrated with herself. And then she apologies for being impatient and for not trying hard enough. Of course, that's the problem. She's simply not trying hard enough. She has to _want_ it. She has to channel her anger, that's what Rumplestiltskin always tells her.

"Magic isn't always tied to your anger," Maleficent says.

"But Rumplestiltskin always says..."

"That imp is only familiar with two feelings: malice and bitterness," Maleficent brushes her off, and Regina giggles against her will.

"You can't force magic," Maleficent continues. "It has to come natural. And you have to relax."

Regina wrinkles her nose. Relax, _relax_? She can't do that, can she? No. She can't relax when she's trying to concentrate.

Maleficent raises from her chair and approaches Regina slowly until she's standing behind her. "Close your eyes."

Regina raises an eyebrow at that. Closing her eyes suddenly seems daunting.

"Close your eyes." Maleficent insists.

Regina only reluctantly does as she's told. She's suddenly hyper aware that the other woman is standing behind her.

"Breathe. Slowly. Relax. Don't force it." Maleficent instructs gently.

Regina obeys and breathes slowly in and out, only concentrating on her chest rising and falling and the sound of the steady _thump-thump_ from her heart.

But the feeling of relaxation immediately fades when Maleficent suddenly puts her hands on her shoulders.

"W-what are you doing?" Regina stutters bewildered and is just a hair away from opening her eyes.

"I'm helping you. Don't open your eyes. Just keep breathing."

Regina does as she's told and turns her focus back to her breathing. She's aware that something is happening in her palm, she doesn't dare look, but she _thinks_ it's a fireball. She concentrates on the feeling of the fireball in her hand, and she feels nothing but triumph when she feels it grow. She's doing it. She's actually making magic.

Maleficent moves her hand from Regina's shoulder and rests it on her stomach instead, and suddenly, the fireball isn't the most interesting thing anymore. Maleficent's hand is extremely _warm_ , and Regina suddenly feels a rush of _something_. A foreign feeling, but certainly not unpleasant. It's like the warmth from Maleficent's hand travels _inside_ Regina's body, and it leaves her with an odd, tingling sensation in her stomach.

"You're doing so well, Regina," Maleficent quietly praises in her ear.

But Regina isn't completely sure of that. Her breathing isn't relaxed anymore. Her palms are sweaty, and she's torn between wanting to push Maleficent away or demand that she doesn't move at all. Her stomach is churning, but it isn't unpleasant this time. Her stomach tingles and Regina have no idea how to make it stop. It's like she's aching for something she doesn't even know what is.

"I feel dizzy." She whispers and notices how raspy she sounds.

"I know," Maleficent says, and Regina is tempted to snort. How could she _possibly_ know how Regina is feeling?

"It's… Probably the wine." Regina mumbles and congratulates herself with coming up with a sensible explanation for what's she's feeling.

"Yes, probably." Maleficent agrees, but she's smiling widely at Regina, and it makes Regina feel even more dizzy.

Regina closes her palm and her newly made fireball vaporizes. Then she finds her cloak and fumbles to clasp it.

"You're leaving?" Maleficent asks nonchalantly, and she still looks oddly amused.

"Yes, I can only be gone for so long. Thank you for your help," Regina rambles off and flees The Forbidden Fortress without giving Maleficent a second glance…

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	5. Realization

**DragonQueen Oneshots**

 **Realization:**

It takes Regina exactly three days and a whole lot of soul searching to realize that she's attracted to Maleficent.

Attracted. _Attracted_!

She's completely sure and yet she keeps telling herself that it can't be. She's _married_. Well, she doesn't feel terribly devoted to her husband, but still…

And Maleficent is a _woman_.

She's not supposed to develop such feelings for another woman, is she? No. No. Maleficent is her _friend_. Maleficent has been nothing but kind to her. She's the first friend Regina's had in years, and here Regina is, developing _feelings_ for her.

And those feelings scare her. This is entirely different from the feelings she had for Daniel. With Daniel, she wanted to build a life with him. She wanted to marry him, all the other things would come after that, once they were married.

This is different. This is driven by something entirely different.

With Daniel she never really had the time to listen to her body. Their kisses were rushed, hasty. Stolen moments whenever they had the chance.

But now… now she has the time to listen to her body, and her body is acting in ways, Regina had no idea were possible. It's aching to be touched by Maleficent again and again. The memory of her warm hand is forever imprinted in her mind, and Regina has to put up with waking up, bathed in sweat and gasping Maleficent's name.

Of course it's all terribly embarrassing, and it's a mere miracle that neither the king nor Snow is perceptive enough to figure out what's going on.

It's getting harder to put up a façade for Maleficent, though. She's so clever, and Regina has a hard time looking her in the eyes. Every innocent touch has Regina flinching and her breath hitching in her throat. At some point, Maleficent will look right through her façade and obviously be appalled by what's hiding behind it, so eventually, Regina stops attending the magic lessons. One time, she mumbles a vague excuse as to why she can't make the next lesson. The next time, she doesn't. She simply doesn't show up.

It's better this way, she keeps telling herself. It's for the best. It's _wrong_. These "feelings" she harbors for Maleficent are _wrong_. Maleficent is a woman, and Regina can't possibly be attracted to another woman. Maleficent is her _friend_. Maleficent would be enraged if she really knew what was going on inside Regina's head. Maybe she would even be serious about her threat and eat Regina.

It's better to stay away.

She manages to hold it together during the day, but the nights… the nights are difficult. For the first time in her life, Regina starts paying attention to her own body and what it does. She pays attention to the strange warmth coursing through her body whenever she's been dreaming of the blonde sorceress. And she pays attention to the unfamiliar ache between her legs that doesn't subside until very late at night. She doesn't know why, but the ache makes her more embarrassed than anything else. She feels out of control. A mess. A terrible mess.

The nights aren't just difficult. They are terrible. Regina almost misses her old nightmares. Those she understands. Those she can handle. They are familiar. This… This is so shocking, so unexpected and so very unfamiliar. She can barely look Snow in the eyes when the girl asks what's wrong with her. This… This _thing_ is the last thing Regina needs. Snow White is already giving her some strange looks, and heaven forbids anybody else should begin to take interest in her. No. She will forcibly push this foolishness out of her head and concentrate on her magic studies and her plan to get revenge on Snow White. That is what this is all about. There's no room for distraction and that's final.

Regina awakens with a sharp gasp, and the next second she feels terribly ashamed. So ashamed her skin is prickling. She was dreaming again. Most of it is a blur, the memory slipping away like water between her hands, but she _does_ remember the feeling of Maleficent undoing the strings on her gown, slowly kissing her back.

Regina buries her face in her hands. This is terrible. Shameful. Why does her mind keep coming up with these dreams? What business does she have dreaming about the blonde sorceress?

She wonders if there's some sort of spell she can use to control her dreams, but that would mean asking Rumplestiltskin for advice. And Regina knows that imp. God, how she knows him. He would find out the truth eventually. Regina can already hear his high pitched, devilish giggle in her head. He would undoubtedly find it amusing. And he would find some way to use it against her. Maybe he would even tell Maleficent. And that is something that can never happen.

She rubs her face harshly, stands from the bed and creaks the balcony door open. She has a vague hope that a bit of fresh air will be enough to calm her down.

It's a vain hope. Regina doesn't get much sleep that night.

And the next day isn't much better, either. Regina is groggy when she wakes up, and she only desires one thing: to be left alone.

But Snow White, the little tyrant, has other plans. She claims that it is a "wonderful day", and then she craves that Regina accompanies her on a stroll to the forest.

Regina wants to say no. Snow White is twelve years old. She's old enough to walk in the forest alone, but Regina can't say that. So instead she smiles and nods. Like she always does.

"Won't you join us, father?" Snow asks sweetly and bats her green eyes at the king.

"I'm afraid not, my dear. I'm needed here today, but I'm confident you and your stepmother will be fine on your own." The king says and gives Snow's hair a fond ruffle.

Snow giggles and Regina flashes the king a tight-lipped smile. _Stepmother_. The word rings in her ears. He always refers to her as that when Snow is present, and when the girl isn't, it's always "the queen" or "her majesty". He never calls her by her name. In fact, Regina is certain he has only used her first name once. When he proposed to her.

"Come, stepmother!" the girl insists, and Regina has no choice but to accompany her to the forest.

At least, Snow doesn't demand much of her as they walk side by side to the forest. The young princess talks and talks, and all Regina has to do, is nod and smile and insert a comment here and there. And while Snow flaps her gums, Regina thinks about the impossible situation she's in. She thinks about her forbidden, developing feelings for Maleficent, and she wonders what she's going to do with them. The only reasonable thing she _can_ do of course. Bury them deep. Bury them and pray they stay buried for good.

"Stepmother? Are you even listening to me?"

Oh. She has to pretend that she's actually listening to Snow White, too.

"Yes, dear. Of course I'm listening," Regina assures.

"Good, because as I was saying…" Snow proceeds to tell Regina everything about her visit to the nearby town. The princess grabs Regina's hand as they walk, and Regina does her utmost not to flinch. A wave of irritation rises in her chest. Snow White is almost thirteen years old. She shouldn't keep insisting upon holding Regina's hand.

But Regina says none of that. Instead she smiles brightly, sweetly and falsely to the girl.

Soon they reach a lumen in the forest, and Snow express her desire to pick the Snowbells that grows nearby. It was her mother's favorite flowers, and Snow so wishes to surprise her father with a bouquet.

Flower picking for kind queen Eva it is, then.

"Of course you can pick flowers my dear," Regina smiles. "I'll stay here and wait for you. But don't go too deep into the wood. We can't have you getting lost, can we?"

Snow giggles girlishly, completely oblivious to the fact that Regina has just voiced her inner most thoughts.

Regina watches until the princess disappears behind the trees. Then the brunette sits down on a stump. She's completely dizzy due to lack of sleep and she spends a moment with her face buried in her hands. She's so tired, and she dearly hopes Johanna is prepared to entertain Snow for the rest of the day. Regina simply can't cope with anymore right now. She just wants to retire to her bedchambers with a glass of wine, no, a _bottle_ of wine, and drink until she falls asleep. Surely no one will notice her absence. They rarely do.

Regina's head snaps up. She suddenly feels watched. But Snow White is nowhere to be seen, the girl must still be busy picking flowers. Even though she can't _see_ anyone, Regina is certain she isn't alone anymore. She straightens her back and stretches her neck. She hears… _footsteps_. Soft footsteps behind the trees, footsteps there are too soft to belong to Snow White. Snow White is never walking softly. She's _trampling_.

Snow White doesn't have magic either, and Regina can definitely feel the magic from whoever is lurking behind those trees. And she can _smell_ it too. Crisp and smoky like fire.

 _Fire._ Regina knows that magic.

It doesn't take her long to put two and two together and figure out that Maleficent is lurking in the forest, watching her from somewhere behind those trees.

 _Maleficent._ Regina panics. She does _not_ want to speak to Maleficent. She can't. How could she, when her head keeps making up these terrible, forbidden scenarios?

"Snow!" Regina calls harshly, and for once, the girl obeys instantly. She comes running back to Regina, pink cheeked and breathless, a perfect mirror of what Regina is feeling right now.

"Yes, stepmother?" the girl asks sweetly. She has a large bouquet of snowbells in her arms.

"It's time to go home," Regina says and fixes Snow's slightly crooked cloak.

"So soon? But…"

"And we're not discussing it." Regina says firmly and brushes the girls protests aside.

Snow's bottom lip trembles a bit, and her green eyes widens. She isn't used to Regina snapping at her.

"Come on," Regina says and is careful to soften her voice. One more harsh word out of her mouth, and Snow will tell her father.

"Yes, stepmother," Snow says willingly and follows Regina back to the castle like a trusting lamb.

Regina takes the girls hand and looks straight ahead. She's certain that Maleficent is still watching her…

 _ **To Be Continued….**_


	6. Nightly Confrontation

**DragonQueen Oneshots**

 **Nightly Confrontation:**

Regina feels nothing but relief when she's finally able to retire to her bedchambers for the night. The king had hosted another ball, and it had meant another evening of smiling politely and looking pretty. Another night of only speak when spoken to. Another night of strange men commenting on her beauty and king Leopold purposefully squeezing her hand whilst smiling and agreeing with the men.

Another night of an over excited Snow White charming everyone she met and showing of like that spoilt little princess Regina knew she was.

Another night of too-tight corsets that almost prevented her from eating. Not that she was very hungry in the first place, but still…

Another night of watching silently while the king danced with his daughter instead of his wife.

But thankfully that's all over for now.

Now, Regina is finally able to shut the door to her bedchamber, take off her dress and tight corset, free her hair from the tight up-do, and replace her dress with a simple nightgown.

She combs her hair until it's a curtain of dark curls flowing down her back. Then she climbs into bed and chuckles satisfied when she manages to switch off the lamps with a wave of her hand. Maybe her skills _are_ improving after all.

She knows better than to wait for sleep to come for her. She already knows that she can't sleep. Not without a little help at least.

Regina knows she's already had plenty to drink tonight. Not that anyone seemed to notice, but still, there should be a better alternative than to drink.

But all the same she knows there isn't. It's either two or three glasses of wine, or no sleep tonight. And Regina is _exhausted_. But her thoughts are preventing her from finding rest, so she knows she has to.

Her teleporting skills are improving a bit, so instead of getting out of bed, she waves her hand and summons a bottle of wine and a glass. She eagerly pours herself a glass of wine, and the first sip is absolutely heavenly. Perfect. She empties the glass and doesn't hesitate to fill it anew. A couple of those and she'll fall asleep. Hopefully without any nightmares.

It doesn't take Regina long to empty the second glass and she pours herself one more. It could just be her imagination, but the room is already beginning to blur a bit before her eyes. She takes another sip. The wine is bitter on her lips, but it'll have to do. It's far from the sweet wine Maleficent served her at the Forbidden Fortress, and…

No. Absolutely not. No comparisons. She's _not_ gonna think about Maleficent again. She can't do that. There will be no explorations of those silly, forbidden feelings she thinks she's harboring for the dragon sorceress. That's just a silly idea she for some reason got into her head. Of course it's all in her head. Just a silly idea. Nothing more.

Regina empties her third glass of wine, fully prepared to let her brain shut down for the night, but it doesn't happen.

Instead, her mind wanders to a certain castle and its occupant. Regina tries her best to push the images out of her head, but she remains unsuccessful. She keeps thinking about Maleficent's voice, her eyes, her sarcastic smiles, her fingers reaching up and caressing the back of Regina's neck

Maybe she should just empty the whole wine bottle. That would put her to sleep.

It doesn't come to that. After two more glasses of wine, Regina falls asleep.

But it isn't exactly a peaceful slumber. She's _dreaming_. Horribly, lewd dreams. Horribly, _forbidden_ dreams that causes her to toss and turn and twist the silk sheet between her fingers and moan quietly.

Regina wakes up gasping for air, the last moan still dying on her lips. She feels slightly dizzy from the amount of wine she had, and the dream certainly didn't make it better. She's sweating and panting and feels deeply ashamed. Regina groans quietly and palms her forehead. She won't be able to endure this for much longer. She's going mad. Mad after something she doesn't even know what is. Mad after something she absolutely cannot have.

Why can't she just go back to hating Snow White and think about how to get revenge on her? Why can't she just be angry again? Those were the days.

 _Revenge,_ she thinks to herself. That's what this is all about. Get her revenge on Snow White. Nothing and nobody is more important than that.

"Bad dream, my sweet?"

Regina lets out a quiet yelp and stiffens in shock. _No. She can't possibly_... she silently prays that her imagination is playing tricks on her, but unfortunately, that is not the case.

Maleficent is nonchalantly sitting at Regina's vanity table, combing her golden hair with Regina's hairbrush like it's the most natural thing in the world, and Regina has a nagging feeling that the sorceress has been there for quite a while already.

"What are _you_ doing here?!" Regina snaps. She's aware that she sounds rude, but it's late, she's embarrassed about finding the source of her dreams in her bedchambers, and she is definitely not feeling very gregarious at the moment.

Maleficent raises one of her perfect eyebrows. "Who sharpened _your_ tongue, little queen?"

"It's the middle of the night," Regina says, determined to appear as cold and uninterested as possible.

"Yes, and so?" Maleficent challenges. Apparently, _she_ is determined to get on Regina's nerves.

"You can't just show up in the middle of the night like this, it isn't right!"

Maleficent waves her hand to dismiss Regina's protest. The blonde sets the hairbrush down on the table and stands from the chair.

Regina panics. Maleficent mustn't come closer to her. Regina won't allow it. She's the queen. Maleficent shouldn't approach her so freely, and… Regina is scared of what will happen if Maleficent comes closer.

Maleficent cocks her head to the side as she looks down at Regina.

"What?" Regina snaps and looks anywhere but at the sorceress in front of her. The sorceress who's dressed in a black velvet dress that leaves too much of her skin bare.

"Why have you stopped visiting me?" Maleficent asks.

Regina shrugs. "I have been otherwise engaged, I'm sure you can understand that."

"And yet you _always_ found the time to show up for your magic lessons," Maleficent points out. "But suddenly no longer. Why?"

"I don't need your help anymore," Regina lies smoothly. "I already have one teacher."

"So you no longer enjoy my company. Is that it?"

"Yes, precisely." Regina says haughtily.

"You're lying." Maleficent states plainly.

"Excuse me?!"

"I said you're lying. You _do_ enjoy my company."

"I don't. And I think you should leave. Now."

But Maleficent doesn't. Instead she narrows her blue eyes at Regina and sits down on the bed like she did the last time.

Regina glares at her. "Get out. Before I send for the guards."

"No. You won't send for the guards," Maleficent says calmly.

"What do you _want_?!"

Maleficent doesn't answer that. Instead she asks: "Why can't I visit you in the middle of the night, my sweet?"

Regina opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out of her mouth.

"Is it because of… this?" Maleficent says and grasps Regina's hand.

Regina makes one weak attempt at pulling her hand away, but Maleficent is stronger than her, and she unabashedly moves on to pet Regina's wrist lightly.

"Or this?" Maleficent suggests and raises her other hand. Her fingertips lightly brush against the back of Regina's neck.

Regina swallows thickly.

"Or perhaps… _this_?" Maleficent says and her voice drops an octave as she puts her hand on Regina's abdomen.

There's that tingling sensation again. That tingling feeling that leaves Regina both breathless and ashamed.

 _No_. Regina pushes Maleficent's hand away and slinks away from her grasp. "I'm married."

Maleficent's eyebrow raises. "Are you? Are you _really_?"

No. No, she is not. The marriage is a complete sham. A joke.

"I'm a woman." Regina states.

"So I've noticed."

" _You're_ a woman!" Regina splutters. She's starting to grow annoying over how little Maleficent seems to care.

"Another obvious fact. How perceptive you are tonight, my sweet." Maleficent half-laughs and her eyes sparkles with amusement.

"It's _wrong_ ," Regina says firmly and folds her arms across her chest. Her entire posture screams "don't touch me".

"Is that so?"

"Yes!"

"Well, if it is so _wrong_ ," Maleficent mocks and stands from the bed, too. She's several inches taller than Regina. "Then why is it that I find you chanting my name in your sleep, hmm? I'm surprised no one else heard you, little one."

Regina feels the warmth rise in her cheeks. She knew she was moaning in her sleep. That's what woke her in the first place, and she's terribly embarrassed that Maleficent heard it. She lowers her gaze to the floor.

"My, my, aren't you a shy one," Maleficent muses as she creeps closer and hooks a finger underneath Regina's chin, forcing her to look up.

"D-don't touch me." Regina shutters and is painfully aware that her heart just sped up.

"I don't think you mean that," Maleficent whispers silkily and strokes Regina's cheek tenderly. "There's nothing to be ashamed of, Regina."

Regina wants to protest, but every last one of her protests melt away with every light caress Maleficent is giving her cheek. She feels like she's melting under the blonde sorceress' touch, and she exhales slowly. Her eyelids flutters and threatens to slide closed.

"I'm going to kiss you now," Maleficent announces quietly, yet nonchalantly.

"Don-…"

But it's too late. Maleficent very gently presses her lips against Regina's, and Regina hisses at the contact. This is her first kiss in _years_ , the first time someone has touched her, shown her interest in years, and she's suddenly very grateful it's Maleficent. Her lips are so _soft_. Softer than Regina ever could have imagined. And her lips move perfectly against Regina's. This is… far better than Regina could have imagined. Better than any dream.

Regina wants to pull her closer. Wants to bury her fingers in blonde curls. Want's to _touch_ her, but she hesitates. She isn't very good at this. She doesn't quite know exactly what to do with herself.

And much to soon it's over. Maleficent chuckles softly as she breaks the contact between them and pulls away from Regina.

"See? That wasn't so terrible, now was it?"

Regina shakes her head. No. That wasn't terrible at all.

"Still shocked that I'm not a man?" Maleficent inquires and a little smile lurks in the corner of her mouth.

Regina shakes her head again. Her voice seems to have disappeared.

"You're very sweet," Maleficent says and echoes her own words.

"You're _interested_ in me." Regina finally says, and immediately regrets it. What a stupid thing to say.

"Yes, darling. I am." Maleficent confirms with a laugh. "Took you long enough to realize."

 _ **To Be Continued..**_


	7. Blooming

**DragonQueen Oneshots**

 **Blooming:**

Regina barely gets a chance to process _that_. One moment Maleficent is there, and the next one, Regina is alone in her bedchambers again.

So Maleficent is… _interested_ in her. The feeling is mutual. How _strange_. Regina slowly brings a finger up to her lips. The feeling of Maleficent's lips against her own still lingers. The first kiss Regina's been given in _years_ , and from someone so unexpected.

She should be feeling guilty. Regina knows she should. She's _straying_. She's committing adultery. And with a _woman_. She is doing everything the king despises.

Maybe that's why it feels so good.

It gives her a certain thrill. Knowing that the king would be appalled if he knew what just happened in his own castle.

Regina chuckles to herself, a dark little sound in the back of her throat that almost scares her. She definitely had too much wine tonight. Her head is spinning, both from the kiss _and_ the alcohol.

Regina lies back down. It doesn't even take a minute before the effect of the alcohol sets in, and she falls asleep.

The next day, the whole thing seems completely unreal, and Regina has to take a moment to convince herself that it actually happened.

She struggles to maintain her calm façade during breakfast. Not that she needs to. Nobody looks at her. Except for Snow's over exited "good morning, stepmother!" and the king's calm "good morning, my dear", they don't really pay attention to her. Snow chatters on about how the entire castle is going to see her ride her horse after breakfast, and Regina feigns interest and assures the girl that "of course I'll be there and watch you ride, my dear". Snow seems delighted, and the king does too. Regina often wonders if he even knows how unhappy she is. Does he even _see_ her? Has it ever occurred to him to _talk_ to her, to get to know her?

No. Regina knows he isn't interested in that. He's still clinging on to the memory of queen Eva. There was one time, where he had a bit too much wine at dinner, their paths crossed, and his face had lit up in a smile because he thought Regina was Eva. He had called out to her, had cried "Eva!" because he was certain his late queen had come back to him. It had made Regina feel sick to her stomach, but she hadn't shown it. Had simply send for one of the guards and told him that the king needed to be escorted back to his chambers.

Regina watches him as he talks to Snow, and she silently wonders, if things had been different, if she had been capable of caring for him. If she had been able to care for Snow White.

 _Caring for Snow White_? Stupid nonsense. She could _never_ care for that little brat. Snow White cost her everything.

Her grip around her fork tightens, magic crackles from her fingertips, and she has to remind herself where she is and who she's with. She can't slip up now. Everything would be ruined if she did that.

After breakfast, everyone, guards, nursemaids and other members of the staff heads over to the stables. A noble, white steed is waiting for Snow White, and the king smiles proudly as the girl mounts the horse. Everyone, Regina included is cheering as the girl steers the horse around in circles, demonstrating her horseback riding skills.

Regina smiles like everybody else present, and she thinks to herself that Snow makes a very poor figure on the animal. Her back is not nearly straight enough, and the way she's using her legs to steer the horse is incorrect. But Regina doesn't tell her that. The young princess doesn't take too kindly to criticism, and the comment would certainly earn a raised eyebrow from the king. He doesn't take too kindly to anyone who dares to criticize the princess, either.

So Regina smiles while she falsely assures the princess that she's doing a wonderful job. Smile and pretend. That's her role. Smile and pretend.

Snow's little demonstration seems to go on and on and on, and after withstanding the torture for an appropriate amount of time, Regina makes an excuse about feeling warm in the sun. She declines her maids offer about fetching her some water and says that she would much rather prefer to get it herself. No one will notice if she doesn't come back. The king's eyes are already resting upon Snow White again.

Regina quietly slinks away from the exited mass and returns to the solitary of the castle.

She does indeed drink a large, cool glass of water, but the idea of going back and take part in Snow White's joy is simply unbearable, so Regina takes advantage of the unguarded front gate and slips away. They're all back at the stables, cheering for Snow White. No one will notice her absence.

The walk is good for her. She feels less… angry. And she takes the opportunity to memorize some of the spells she's currently trying to learn. She has another lesson with Rumplestiltskin tomorrow, and he will taunt her if he finds out she hasn't been studying.

She mumbles to herself, trying her best to remember the various spells as she walks. Regina opens her palm, breathes slowly, deeply, concentrates and closes her eyes like Maleficent instructed her, and a few seconds later, a flame appears in her hand. Regina chuckles to herself. That was easier than the last time she attempted to do this.

The weather is almost unbearably warm, and Regina once again end up seeking shelter underneath that big oak tree. She undoes the light shawl she brought with her and wipes her brow. She didn't choose the best day to take a walk. She should have stayed inside the castle instead.

Hopefully, Snow White's steed will go mad because of the heat and throw the girl off. And this time, Regina won't be around to safe her. Justice finally served.

She sits down underneath the oak tree and leans her head back for a moment. It's so blissfully quiet out here. She can't hear anything, especially not Snow White's laughter.

But she can _feel_ something. Even though her eyes are closed, she can feel the sun disappearing. A cloud? Regina opens her eyes and gazes up at the sky. Hopefully it wont rain again. She still hasn't mastered that drying spell.

But it's not a cloud. It's a _shadow_. A _large_ shadow. A _moving_ shadow, that is. The shadow is flying, that's what it's doing.

It only takes Regina ten seconds to realize that this isn't no ordinary shadow. No, _this_ is a _dragon_.

That ought to fill her with panic, right? The sight of a dragon circling above you, should make anyone panic, right?

But Regina finds herself to be strangely _calm_ as she listens to the " _whoosh, whoosh_ " sounds from the dragon's wings, and watches how it slowly zeroes in on her.

The ground shakes and the trees trembles as the enormous dragon lands. Maleficent looks to her left, then to her right and blinks her glowing green eyes once. Then she folds her wings and approaches Regina.

Regina raises an eyebrow as the dragon comes closer. She isn't afraid, not anymore, but what Maleficent is doing right now is risky. Anyone could walk past and see the dragon, and a dragon in the king's forest would undoubtedly cause some panic.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, like the last time, but not unkindly this time.

Of course Maleficent doesn't provide her with much of an answer, Regina hadn't expected that, but she _does_ feel rather surprised when Maleficent bows her enormous head and nudges Regina's hand with her snout.

"What?" Regina asks.

Maleficent nudges her hand again, and Regina takes that as an invitation. She slowly reaches up and puts her hand on Maleficent's enormous snout.

Maleficent flashes her something that could have been a smile if she was in her human form.

Regina chuckles at the strange expression on the dragon's face. Dragons are supposed to cause fear and terror.

The dragon disappears in a cloud of smoke, and then Maleficent, in her human form, emerges from the swirl of magic, dressed in a deep purple dress and with her hair swept to the side in some kind of half up-do.

"Hello again." she says silkily and shakes her hair as to shake off the last remains of her dragon form.

"Hello." Regina acknowledges.

"May I sit?"

"Be my guest," Regina says and moves a bit so there's room for Maleficent under the tree.

Maleficent gathers her skirts with one hand and gracefully sits down next to Regina. She's looking at Regina again, but this time, Regina doesn't find it to be unnerving.

"Are you here alone?" Maleficent asks calmly.

Regina shrugs. "Yes."

"Where's your faithful little puppy of a stepdaughter?"

Regina glares at Maleficent. "She's currently showing off her riding skills to the entire castle."

"And you snuck off."

"I doubt no one notices my absence," Regina says plainly.

Maleficent reaches out and takes her hand, entwines their fingers like it's the most natural thing in the world.

And maybe it is. Regina turns her head slightly and smiles. Holding Maleficent's hand feels surprisingly _normal_. She gives the other woman's hand a soft squeeze.

"Well, look who is coming around," Maleficent quips, brings Regina's hand up to her lips and gives it a light kiss.

Regina chuckles at that. Maybe she _is_ coming around. Whatever that means.

Maleficent dusts her fingertips along Regina's jawline, brushes her cheek lightly. "Beautiful."

Regina raises an eyebrow. That is new, too. The king has called her beautiful, Snow White has called her beautiful. But Regina had never believed them.

This statement… This statement she actually believes. The way Maleficent says it, sounds exactly like the way Daniel said it.

And Regina's cheeks heat up at unexpected the compliment. "T-thank you."

Maleficent chuckles warmly. "You are most welcome, darling."

 _Darling_. That is certainly new, too.

"Why are you so good to me?" Regina asks, well, she knows _why_ , Maleficent's last visit revealed as much, but she hadn't expected the Mistress of all Evil to be _this_. To be so _kind_. So _gentle_.

"Would you rather have me be cruel to you?" Maleficent drawls and gives her cheek a light pet.

"Perhaps I would understand that better," Regina quips dryly.

Maleficent laughs, a genuine sound and not just a chuckle. Then she leans in and brushes her lips against Regina's. Gently, exactly like the last time.

But this time, Regina doesn't hesitate to return the kiss, and instead of keeping her hands where they are, she slowly reaches up and rests them on Maleficent's cheeks. Her skin is soft, exactly like Regina had imagined, and it delights her to know that she was right in her assumption.

Maleficent doesn't seem to mind Regina's hesitant touch. The blonde firmly puts her hands over Regina's, to keep them in place. To make sure, Regina doesn't move her hands away.

But Regina has no desire to remove her hands from Maleficent. And at the same time, she wishes she could touch her elsewhere. Wrap her arms around Maleficent's waist and pull her closer or bury her hands in the sorceress' blonde tresses.

Suddenly, she feels the tip of Maleficent's tongue ghost over her lower lip, and Regina doesn't even think before she parts her lips, allowing the other woman's tongue access.

Maleficent moves her hands from Regina's and cups her face more firmly to pull her closer.

Regina is shocked when she makes an entirely unladylike sound in the back of her throat. Her body is acting in ways she had no idea it could, and she's a bit embarrassed about the sounds spilling from her lips.

Maleficent presses one last, lingering kiss to her lips and then the dragon sorceress pulls back. Her eyes have blackened and there's a new gleam in them. "Oh, why haven't I found you sooner?"

And for that Regina has no answer. But she _does_ know that she's feeling even warmer than before. Warm and flustered and slightly breathless. What _is_ this woman doing to her?

"When will I see you again, little one?" Maleficent asks and brushes a lock of hair behind Regina's ear.

"The next time the king is away." Regina says. And oh, how she means it.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	8. When the cat is out

**When the cat is out….**

A few weeks later, an opportunity presents itself so suddenly, so well timed that Regina almost suspect that there's magic involved.

The king is travelling to meet King Midas, and he's taking Snow White with him. Rumors had it, that the young princess begged her father to bring her along, and obviously he couldn't say no to that.

Regina is given a half-hearted invitation, too, followed by a: "but I doubt you will find it entertaining, my dear". So it's not really an invitation. It's the king's polite way of saying that he isn't particularly interested in bringing his queen with him.

So Regina wisely chooses to stay at the castle. Instead, it's decided that Johanna will accompany the king on the journey, to look after the young princess whenever the king is occupied.

On the day of their departure, Regina stands in the court yard, ready to wave her family off like the good queen she is. Snow hugs her tightly and expresses how sad she is that Regina won't be joining them. But the king simply chuckles, ruffles Snow's hair and tells her that "someone has to look after the kingdom while they are away". Regina goes along with it, even though they both know king Leopold would never leave the responsibility for the kingdom to _her_. No, he'll leave the duties to one of his trusted counselors.

Regina smiles and watches as Snow climbs into the carriage. She had expected the king to do the same, but Leopold changes his mind halfway there, turns around and gives Regina a kiss on the cheek.

Snow giggles girlishly, and Regina isn't sure what to feel about the kings sudden and rare display of emotions. Could it be that he's feeling guilty over the lack of attention he's showing her?

No. Of course he isn't feeling guilty. He doesn't think of her that way. He doesn't harbor those kinds of feelings for her. After two years of marriage, he still hasn't made any attempt of getting to know her, and Regina knows that he probably never will. Despite being married, they're strangers to each other. Regina knows as little of her husband as he knows of her.

She waits and watches as the carriage slowly descends. The last thing she sees before it rounds a corner, is Snow White waving at her.

Now she's alone. Well, apart from a few handmaidens who never really pays attention, except for when Regina is giving them a direct order. And right now, her order is that they are dismissed for the rest of the day. She can manage on her own, has never been interested in having an entourage of people following her every move. It's bad enough that Snow trails after her like a damned puppy.

Regina locks herself away in her chambers for a little while. Now that she's alone, she has absolutely no excuse for _not_ studying magic.

Of course, Rumplestiltskin shows up halfway through her studies, and as usually he pushes her far beyond her limits, but today, his teasing and taunting proves to be successful, and Regina's ability to make fireballs grows, as does her ability to transport from one place to another.

Rumplestiltskin giggles gleefully and asks Regina what makes her so motivated today. Regina answers "revenge" as she always does, but Rumplestiltskin waves that statement off, and taunts her with her "newfound fondness for dragons".

Regina becomes perplexed but manages to scoff and claim that Rumplestiltskin is out of his mind.

"Your marriage to the good king has proven to rather boring, hasn't it, Dearie? I can't blame you for wanting a bit of… _fun_."

That's when Regina end the lesson and verbally throws Rumplestiltskin out of her chambers.

It's only afterwards that she realizes she didn't deny it. Not really.

Of course Rumplestiltskin knows what's going on. Of course he does. That imp is watching her every move, Regina is certain of that, and normally she wouldn't have bothered to think about it.

But now… Now it bothers her, that he clearly has some kind of way to watch her. She doesn't _want_ that. Whatever happens is between her and Maleficent. There shouldn't be a third part watching. And that third part should definitely not be Rumplestiltskin. He will think of some kind of way to twist things and poison the only good thing that has happened to Regina in a very long time.

Because despite how unsure Regina still is on what's going on, she still thinks of what's happening between her and Maleficent as a good thing. Maleficent is different. She's the first person in Regina's life who hasn't tried to manipulate with her in some way. She's honest. She doesn't play games.

Regina is suddenly overwhelmed by the need to see the other woman, and she promptly locks the spell book away.

It's nearly sundown when Regina leaves the castle. No one pays attention to her departure. The handmaidens were chatting briskly with one another, so it was fairly easy for Regina to slink past them and disappear into the night.

She could have chosen to transport, but she chooses to walk instead. It's a beautiful evening, and it feels nice to walk around so freely. Without a trail of handmaidens or an over excited stepdaughter. Except for a few bird chirps here and there, Regina can't hear _anything_. Not even her own thoughts. For once, there's complete silence in her head, and as unusual as that is, Regina relishes in the feeling.

The road to Maleficent's castle is far, but Regina enjoys the walk, and she even catches herself hum. Something she hasn't done for quite a while. She also seems to appreciate things a whole lot more. The black bird chirping somewhere in the trees. The dark blue color of the sky. The way the sun dips into the water and colors it golden. The light breeze in her hair.

Before she realizes it, she has reached the gate to Maleficent's castle. My, that didn't take very long. Regina stops and listens. It's so quiet out here. So very quiet. Maybe Maleficent isn't even here. Or perhaps she's busy. Or not in the mood for company. There could be a hundredth of reasons as to why Maleficent doesn't want to see her.

Maybe it was foolish of Regina to just show up here. Maybe she should have waited until Maleficent came to her. That's how this… this… _thing_ normally plays out.

But now she's here and the thought of returning home without having seen Maleficent isn't very appealing.

So Regina raises her hand and knocks once on the gate. She's not gonna barge in and make the same mistake twice.

She waits and listens, and then…

"Come." She hears Maleficent's voice from inside the castle and the rusty gate creaks open.

Regina steps inside and finds Maleficent sitting nonchalantly on her throne, lazily running a comb her blonde hair.

The sorceress looks up and her mouth curves up in a smile when she lays her eyes on Regina. "Well, well. This truly is a pleasant surprise."

"You are not busy?" Regina asks, and can immediately hear the foolishness in her own words. Maleficent doesn't appear to be one bit _busy_ at the moment.

"No, darling. You are always welcome here. Come, come," Maleficent urges and waves her hand.

"Do you except me to kneel, too?" Regina asks before she can stop herself. Maleficent _does_ look very regal sitting like that, all nonchalant on her throne.

Maleficent laughs whole heartedly at that question and she elegantly hops off the throne. Her skirts swishes behind her as she approaches Regina.

"No, darling. I do not expect you to kneel. Not unless you _want_ to be on your knees for me."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Regina asks and raises an eyebrow.

Maleficent laughs again, but this time Regina isn't quite sure what the joke is. "Perhaps it'll be _me_ who ends up on my knees for the queen," Maleficent continues and her tongue darts out to lick her lips.

Regina isn't sure what to make of that statement, either. And she doesn't get much time to think about it before Maleficent gently grasp her chin and kisses her, exactly like she did it the two previous times.

And _that_ is something Regina understands. And she's more than willing to respond to the kiss, too. Her arms seem to wrap around Maleficent's waist on their own accord, and Regina doesn't feel one bit ashamed over it.

Maleficent's hands ends up on Regina's hips, and Regina immediately notes how _warm_ they are.

"How _did_ you manage to skulk away from your loving husband and devoted stepdaughter?" Maleficent asks between kisses.

"They…" Regina briefly trails off when she feels Maleficent's hot breath on her neck. Her breath is warm too, and so very, very intoxicating. Regina almost feels dizzy and she bites back a very un-queenly sound that's growing in the back of her throat.

"Well?" Maleficent murmurs and her fingertips brushes the back of Regina's neck.

"The… king and Snow is visiting King Midas," Regina finally grits out and tries to stay focused.

"And for how long will they be away, my sweet?" Maleficent asks nonchalantly and traces her finger along Regina's jawline.

"Seven days."

"Seven _days_?" Maleficent repeats, and her blue eyes sparkles. "Is that really so, little one?"

"Yes." Regina is grateful that a short answer will suffice. She feels lightheaded and warm.

"That calls for a celebration. Drink with me." Maleficent says and hands Regina a glass of wine. When she summoned it, Regina has no idea of, but she willingly accepts the glass and takes a sip of the sweet wine.

They end up sitting at the blanket in front of Maleficent's enormous fireplace. The one Regina unsuccessfully tried to light during her first visit. Today, the flames are flickering in the fireplace.

"You seem relaxed today," Maleficent points out after they've sat a while and talked about nothing.

"I am," Regina says. "Not having Snow White or the king around always lifts my spirit a little. And… I feel better when I'm here," she confesses almost shyly.

"And I like having you here. As I said, you're always welcome here," Maleficent says and flicks a lock of Regina's dark hair between her fingers.

"Thank you."

"Mmm," Maleficent hums in response and strokes Regina's cheek tenderly. "You are so beautiful."

Regina opens her mouth to protest. She is _not_ beautiful. She's either too plump or too skinny, her cheeks are either too full or too hollow, never quite perfect. Her eyes too dark, her hair too unruly. That's what Mother always said.

"You _are_ ," Maleficent says firmly and puts a finger on Regina's lip to silence her.

Regina feels a new wave of warmth spread in her body, and it takes her a moment to acknowledge what it is. The only person she believed when he told her she was beautiful, was Daniel.

Now… Now she believes Maleficent too. How strange it may sound.

They sip their wine for a while, and none of them has the desire to speak. But it isn't a painful silence like the ones Regina is used to whenever she dines with the king and Snow isn't present.

This is comfortable. Maleficent isn't encouraging her to talk, the sorceress seems fine with just sitting there and holding Regina's hand.

Regina closes her eyes for a moment and feels how Maleficent entwines their fingers, untangles them, caresses Regina's wrist instead and massaging her palm with her fingers.

It's almost somnolent, and Regina wonders if Maleficent would mind if she fell asleep right here, on the blanket and pillows in front of the fireplace.

"Is anyone expecting you back tonight?" Maleficent asks, and Regina opens her eyes and tilts her head back to look at her.

"I don't think anyone noticed that I left."

"Then don't return home tonight. Stay here."

 **To Be Continued…**


	9. Desire

**Desire**

Regina flushes a deep shade of pink and nervously tugs her hair behind her ear. She knows that Maleficent just said "stay here tonight", but Regina is smart enough to read between the lines.

And she would be lying to herself if she claims that she _hasn't_ thought about Maleficent taking her to bed. Of course she has, and the chemistry between them is unmistakable.

But Regina has no idea what's awaiting her. What she can expect. What _Maleficent_ expects of _her_.

What if she's bad at… what, exactly? What if Maleficent ends up being disappointed with her?

After all, Regina was a disappointing daughter. She's a disappointing queen and a disappointing stepmother. So why shouldn't she be disappointing at this, too?

And she still doesn't quite understand _why_ Maleficent has chosen _her_. Regina doesn't for one minute doubt that the dragon sorceress could have anyone she desired, and yet she chose _her_ of all people.

Regina's train of thoughts is interrupted when Maleficent takes her hand. "Have I unnerved you, my sweet?"

Regina shakes her head to indicate no. And she isn't unnerved. She's unsure, because she has no idea how to do this. No one has ever… _talked_ to her about it. She's been sheltered for most of her life, and the only thing Cora ever said, was that Regina would "find out on her wedding night".

But Regina didn't. She never had a wedding night, and now she's left sitting and wishing that she at least had _some_ experience. Even if it had meant giving herself away to a man she didn't love.

"You are free to return to your castle if that's what you want, Regina," Maleficent gently assures her and gives her hand a light squeeze.

Regina shakes her head again. No, she doesn't want to return home. She wants to be here. She wants to be _with_ Maleficent. In every sense of the word.

"I want to stay," she murmurs quietly and licks her suddenly rather dry lips. "But I don't know what…"

"My dear, sweet girl," Maleficent gently cuts her off. "I'm not _expecting_ anything from you. And I certainly don't except you to share my bed if you don't want too."

"And if I _do_ want too?" Regina asks, and wonders where the sudden boldness comes from.

Maleficent smiles at that. "Well… then I only have one request."

"And that is?"

"That you trust me."

Regina frowns a little. What an odd request. Of course she trusts Maleficent. The blonde sorceress should know that by now.

"I _do_ trust you." Regina says firmly. "You know that."

Maleficent leans closer and Regina swallows something. She doesn't want to appear nervous, but she has an inkling that Maleficent can smell it a mile away. It's silly, isn't it? She shouldn't be so nervous, should she? She's a grown woman. A _queen_. Queens aren't supposed to be nervous. They are supposed to keep their calm façade at all times. That's what Cora always said, at least.

Maleficent interrupts her again, and this time she does it by pressing her lips gently against Regina's.

Regina returns the kiss, and Maleficent frees her hand and cups her cheek instead. Her fingers are _so_ warm, and Regina briefly wonders whether its because Maleficent is a fire breathing creature. Perhaps she's not entirely in control over her magic right now.

Maleficent's tongue ghosts over Regina's lower lip, and Regina willingly opens her mouth. Their tongues meet, entwines, and now _Regina_ is the one who feels warm. Maleficent's hand isn't resting on her cheek anymore. Instead her palm is now resting on Regina's lower back.

The kiss deepens, and Regina releases a soft moan. The next second she feels embarrassed about it. That wasn't a very ladylike sound to make. But Maleficent pulls back a little and looks her square in the eyes. "Don't be ashamed, my sweet."

Regina nods once.

Maleficent kisses her again, her arms wrap around Reginas neck, her hands brushes against the nape of her neck before she buries them in dark curls. Regina feels dizzy. They are pressed right up against each other now, she can feel the heat from Maleficent's body, and the brunette cheeks flushes again when she feels how her own nipples hardens behind the stiff material of her corset.

One hand leaves her hair and Regina's breath hitches when Maleficent's slender fingers brushes against her breast. Something stirs at that, and Regina feels how that warmth spreads to her abdomen and leaves her with a throbbing sensation. The same kind of throbbing she felt when Maleficent put her hand on her lower stomach.

Maleficent's releases her lips with a soft _pop_ , and Regina is certain she will burn when the blonde sorceress moves her lips to her neck instead. Regina's head lolls back and she moans again. What Maleficent is doing feels incredible, better than anything, but somehow, she yearns for more. Even though she isn't completely sure what that _more_ is.

She wants to lie down. That's what she wants. She wants to lie down and feel Maleficent's weight on top of her.

Regina shuffles and does her best to lie down on top of all the pillows and blankets, but Maleficent stops her with a hand on her shoulder and a soft: "No, darling."

Regina frowns and tilts her head. Has the sorceress perhaps changed her mind?

But Maleficent flashes her a smile. "Not on the floor."

 _Why ever not?_ Regina raises an eyebrow. They are sitting on several blankets and pillows, so it doesn't feel like the floor. Not really. It's not hard. It feels very soft.

"I won't do this with you on the _floor_ ," Maleficent says and her eyes sparkles mischievously. "You're the _queen_. The floor is no place for a queen."

Regina wants to argue against that. To protest. To inform Maleficent that she doesn't mind the floor one bit. But before she can actually do that, Maleficent elegantly stands and extends her hand out towards Regina.

"Come."

Regina takes her hand and lets the older woman lead into what can only be Maleficent's bedchambers.

Regina stops and stares. She has never been in here before. Maleficent's bedchamber is enormous, and so is the bed. Carved out in some kind of wood and with a gigantic chandelier above it. Regina doesn't for one minute doubt that it's made of diamonds.

But it's the bed that really catches her attention. It's _huge_. And covered in silk sheets of deepest purple. They match, Regina thinks to herself. The sheets somehow fit Maleficent's character.

Regina realizes that she's looking anywhere but at the blonde sorceress and she quickly turns her attention back to the woman in front of her.

"Do you like it?" Maleficent asks as if she's waiting for Regina's verdict.

Regina nods.

"Fitting for a queen," Maleficent murmurs and brushes a tendril of hair behind Regina's ear.

Regina sighs softly when Maleficent attaches her lips to her neck again. The warm feelings she had in front of the fireplace returns, and she trembles a little when Maleficent pushes her dress away slightly to kiss her shoulder.

Suddenly, her clothes feel uncomfortably tight, and that warmth turns into a throbbing sensation between her legs. Regina moans and is tempted to cross her legs to relieve some of the pressure.

Maleficent instantly presses her lips against Regina's again, and her fingers travels behind Regina.

Regina doesn't flinch when the first button in her gown is opened, but she's a little amazed at how Maleficent both manages to kiss her _and_ open her dress at the same time.

Another button is popped open.

One more.

Regina doesn't think of anything but Maleficent and her lips against her own.

She feels a breeze of cold air on her upper back. Maybe the castle is cold after all. Regina just didn't notice it because Maleficent is so warm.

The rest of the buttons is opened. The dress slips from Regina's shoulders and Maleficent gently spins her around. She pushes the dress off Regina's body, and Regina shudders and gasps when Maleficent presses a feather light kiss to her shoulder, and one to the side of her neck.

Her underskirts disappear, and Regina isn't completely sure whether Maleficent removed them by hand or magic. Either way, it doesn't matter. Regina swallows thickly when Maleficent's fingers starts working on the strings in her corset. She's suddenly hyper aware that she's about to be bare while Maleficent is still fully dressed.

She feels how the tight corset slowly becomes loose around her body, and she's certain the garment has left marks on her ribs.

The chill hits her naked back. The corset falls to the floor.

Regina instinctively raises her arms to cover herself and the blush rises in her cheeks. Maleficent comes up in front of her and brushes her thumb over Regina's jawline. Then she leans in and kisses her again.

Maleficent strokes her bare arms, runs her fingers over the nape of her neck, and Regina wishes that this moment will never end.

"May I?" Maleficent asks gently and her fingertips brushes against Regina's elbow.

Regina just nods. She doesn't trust her voice.

Maleficent very slowly lowers Regina's arms, and Regina immediately lowers her gaze to the floor. She can feel Maleficent's eyes upon her, and it makes her cheeks tinge pink again.

Maleficent puts a finger underneath her chin, tilts her face up again and looks her in the eyes. "You truly are beautiful, my sweet."

Regina flushes again. "T-thank you."

Maleficent takes her hand and guides her over to the enormous bed. Regina doesn't think twice before she clumsily climbs up and lies back on the bed. Maleficent is instantly with her and gives Regina a light peck on the lips before she kisses a pattern from Regina's ear to that sensitive spot where her shoulder begins.

Regina's eyelids slides closed, and she bites her lip when Maleficent's lips travels lower, to the top of her breast, and then.

" _Oh_!" Regina's eyes snap open and her body jerks when Maleficent's lips brushes against her nipple. The blonde sorceress smirks up at her and wraps her lips around Regina's nipple. She sucks gently at the hardened nipple and Regina cries out, actually cries out in pleasure. She hadn't meant to, but neither her voice or her body is doing her bidding right now. She's no longer in charge. Maleficent is.

And the _reactions_ Maleficent draws from her. By the time she switches over to the other breast, Regina is panting and gasping and twisting the sheet between her fingers.

Warmth rushes over Regina and she's vaguely aware that a distinct wetness has settled between her legs. A feeling, she soon will recognize as _desire_. She moans again and closes her eyes. The room is spinning, and she feels a little dizzy.

And then that warm mouth leaves her nipple completely, and Regina instantly looks up, disappointed and aching and in dire need of contact.

"Don't fret, my darling," Maleficent says and her voice sounds a bit raspy. "We're not done yet."

Regina smiles weakly. That's the only thing she can muster right now.

Maleficent claims her lips again and for a moment she lingers with her fingers tangled into Regina's hair. Then she very slowly kisses her way down Regina's body until she reaches her belly button. Regina jerks involuntarily again when the blonde dips her tongue into her navel. Every nerve in her body is on fire and her breath quickens when Maleficent very slowly brings her panties down her legs. She's now completely bare for the other woman, and she half expected that it would make her feel terribly vulnerable.

But it doesn't. Because this is Maleficent. Maleficent, who she trusts, Maleficent who she lo- cares so deeply for.

Regina gasps and her legs jerks when Maleficent presses a light kiss to her inner thigh. Maleficent gives her leg a light pat as to steady her, and Regina does her very best not to jerk her legs again when Maleficent presses another featherlight kiss to her inner thigh.

She can feel how Maleficent's lips peppers her inner thigh with kisses, and then…

" _Ahh_!" Regina can't quite stifle the moan that escapes her when Maleficent's finger darts over her clit. That warmth in her abdomen turns into tingles that leaves her panting and breathless and begging for more.

Maleficent immediately complies and uses two of her fingers to rub at Regina. But as Regina's cries goes sharper, her movements grows more determined.

The tingles intensify, and Regina almost feels a certain _pull_. Flames erupts in her abdomen. Her stomach tightens, her heels digs into the sheets, and…

The flames explodes within her, her vision blurs, her minds goes blank and she lets out a ragged " _Maleficent_!" as she climaxes for the first time.

She can't think. She can't move. She feels completely boneless. But she's certain of one thing. They're not done yet. Regina wants more, and she wants it immediately. She _craves_ more. She feels like she's almost a little bit intoxicated. Intoxicated with what she just experienced.

And Maleficent doesn't move an inch. Instead she waits until Regina has calmed down a little. Then she asks: "Do you trust me, my darling?"

Regina nods frantically.

" _Say_ it, Regina. Use your words."

"I-I trust you," Regina manages.

She once again feels Maleficent's fingers where she's still wet and slick and ready. Regina's breath hitches when one finger brushes against her entrance.

"Breathe," Maleficent gently instructs and strokes Regina's thigh with her other hand.

Regina does her best to do just that, but she still gasps when Maleficent very slowly pushes a finger inside her. It hurts, yes, but not as much as she thought it would. But it doesn't exactly feel enjoyable either.

She exhales, hadn't even realized she was holding her breath, and Maleficent very slowly slides a second finger into her.

This _is_ a bit painful, but still not as bad as she thought. Maleficent crooks her fingers slightly and Regina's legs jerks again when she suddenly feels her fingers brush against a spot inside her.

"Mmph!"

Those flickering flames, those tingles settle in her abdomen and it doesn't take long before Regina starts rocking her hips in tandem with Maleficent's movements. It's not painful anymore. Regina clutches the sheets between her fingers when she feels Maleficent brush against _that_ spot again. The flames licks at her again and the warmth spreads in her body once more.

" _Maleficent_ …" Regina half-moans, half-warns. She feels like she's been pushed closer and closer to some sort of edge.

"Let go for me," Maleficent coaxes. "Let me see how much you enjoy this, my sweet." She stresses out her words by hooking her fingers _just so_.

White light explodes behind Regina's eyes for the second time, and she's send flying over that edge. Sparks of magic erupts from her fingertips and she cries out sharply.

Maleficent withdraws her fingers slowly, and Regina's legs falls open so she's lying sprawled out on the silk sheets. Once again, she's left completely boneless, satisfied and so utterly spent.

Maleficent tilts her head and smiles a little.

"That was…" Regina half-slurs. She's unable to make a coherent sentence.

Maleficent's smile just widens.

Regina is exhausted, but she tries to fight the urge to sleep. She doesn't want to sleep just yet. Not _now_. Not after what just happened between them. But the urge to sleep is overwhelming, and she can barely keep her eyes open.

"You can sleep, my sweet," Maleficent says gently and makes Regina's drowsiness worse by putting a blanket over her.

"No, I don't want to sleep," Regina protests. If she goes to sleep now, she fears that it will all be a dream, and she'll be back at her own castle tomorrow.

"I can see how exhausted you are, darling," Maleficent murmurs. "You must rest."

"Why?"

"Because…" Maleficent presses a light kiss to her temple. "I'm not sure I can let you return home tomorrow."

And with that promise, Regina finally falls asleep.

 _ **To Be Continued…?**_


	10. Flickering

**Flickering**

Rain. That's the first thing Regina notices the next morning. Rain against the windows. The quiet, whispering sound of rain coming down.

The sheets underneath her are soft. Soft, like her own sheets back at the castle, but she's well aware that she isn't at home in her own castle.

She's at the Forbidden Fortress. And she has absolutely problems with remembering exactly what happened last night.

Regina stretches in the bed without opening her eyes. She still feels a little boneless. And she's a bit sore between her legs. Not much, just a reminder of what happened last night.

"How are you feeling?"

Regina doesn't answer. How Maleficent knows she's awake is a bit of a mystery, but the sorceress' voice is close to her. Does that mean she slept next to her? For some reason, that makes Regina happy.

"I know you're awake, my sweet."

Regina scoffs quietly into the pillow. Why is it that Maleficent is so determined to talk right now? Regina could relish in this all day. The _silence_. No "stepmother, are you awake?" or "good morning, Your Majesty". Just the sound of rain tapping against the windows. Nothing more.

But Maleficent clearly has a different opinion, because the blonde sorceress gently brushes her lips against Regina's naked shoulder.

Regina finally opens her eyes and turns around to lie on her side. She pulls the sheets up to her chest. You would think that she was beyond shame and shyness after last night, but for some reason, she's not quite ready to be naked again.

Maleficent is lying only inches from her. So she _did_ in fact fall asleep next to Regina last night. Regina notes that the blonde has changed into some sort of nightgown. She must have done that after Regina fell asleep.

Regina purses her lips slightly. Last night had been all about _her_. Exactly _what_ had been in it for Maleficent?

Regina suddenly feels like some sort of greedy creature. She didn't even remove Maleficent's clothes last night. She didn't even attempt to.

"What's the matter?" Maleficent asks calmly and brushes a strand of hair behind Regina's ear.

"Nothing."

"Are you in pain?"

Regina shakes her head. She isn't in pain. Not much, at least.

"Then what is it?"

Regina isn't doing a terribly good job at choosing her words. "You didn't…." she says vaguely.

Vague or not, Maleficent seems to understand what Regina is getting at, and the blonde sorceress flashes Regina a smile and chuckles warmly. "You're worried that I didn't get any satisfaction, is that it?"

Regina nods. She might not have a profound knowledge about intimacy, but she knows that there should be something in it for both parts.

"Darling," Maleficent says warmly and strokes Regina's cheek. "Watching you last night was plenty enjoyable for me."

Regina's frown goes deeper. She isn't too sure what to think of _that_. On the one hand, she's happy that her reactions brought Maleficent such joy, but on the other hand, she can't help but feel a bit… _offended_ that Maleficent seemingly isn't interested in having Regina reciprocate.

"Oh." She says, nods once as if she understands.

But Maleficent reads her like an open book, skims a finger up and down Regina's sheet-covered back and says: "That _doesn't_ mean that I don't want you."

"It doesn't?"

Maleficent sighs. "Of _course_ I want you. Surely, you _must_ know that by now. But I simply didn't want to overwhelm you last night. I figured you would be too exhausted for a- _lesson_."

Regina tilts her head when she realizes what Maleficent means. "You'll teach me? How to…?" the rest of the sentence dies on her lips.

"Oh yes, darling," Maleficent chuckles. "I'll teach you anything you want to learn."

"Anything?"

"Anything." Maleficent confirms and her grin widens. "You are quite the curious one."

Regina bobs her shoulders once. She supposes she _is_ a bit curious now after last night. Her marriage is loveless, and she had never imagined that she would get a chance to experience intimacy. Not like this, at least. Not with someone who actually _means_ something to her. She suddenly feels immensely grateful that Maleficent had been the one to take her to bed for the first time. Because no matter what else happened, she would always have this. Not many things had been perfect in Regina's life, but this, her first intimate experience had been absolutely perfect, and Regina can't imagine that she at any point should wish to change last night's event.

"Not having seconds thoughts, are we?" Maleficent asks, there's a hint of concern in her voice, and Regina leans in and kisses her. Just because she can.

"No." she smiles, and Maleficent smiles back at her.

"Tell me, my sweet. Exactly _what_ would you like me to teach you?"

"How to make you feel as good as you made me feel last night," Regina says without hesitation. She so wants to reciprocate. She so wants to explore Maleficent's body like Maleficent explored hers last night.

"Oh." Maleficent grins. "Well, _that_ I can teach you, darling."

"Can you?"

"Mhmm."

"When?" Regina asks bluntly.

Maleficent laughs. "My, my. Someone isn't feeling as shy and timid anymore."

Regina shrugs lightly.

"If you're beyond all that, why don't you drop that silly sheet, hmm?" Maleficent challenges with a crooked smile.

Regina narrows her eyes. But only for a moment. Then she lets go of the sheet, and it doesn't take long before Maleficent pulls it away from her body.

"There you are. So beautiful."

"I'm cold," Regina says, and that isn't a bad excuse. She really is feeling rather cold. The Forbidden Fortress is quite chilly.

"How about a bath then?" Maleficent suggests and elegantly hops out of bed.

"That sounds nice." Regina climbs out of bed and immediately notes that she's feeling rather achy between her legs. Every time she takes a step, it aches down there.

"A bath will also help with the pain," Maleficent adds as she hands Regina a bathrobe.

"I'm not in pain," Regina denies firmly.

Maleficent raises an eyebrow. "Don't lie, darling. I can see how stiff you're walking."

Regina glares but doesn't say anything. Maleficent takes her hand and leads her into the bathroom and to one of the biggest bathtubs Regina has ever seen.

With a flick of Maleficent's wrist, the tub fills itself with warm water. Regina quickly disrobes and climbs into the bathtub. Maleficent was right. The hot water _does_ feel good.

Regina looks up and sees Maleficent nonchalantly undoing the strings on her own dress. "I do hope you don't mind if I join you?"

Regina shakes her head. She doesn't mind that at all. The only thing she minds is that she isn't the one who's undressing Maleficent right now.

She can't help but stare when Maleficent's dress falls to the floor. The blonde sorceress is absolutely perfect. So beautiful. So complete. So flawless. Regina's throat suddenly feels rather dry at the sight of the other woman completely undressed before her eyes.

Maleficent climbs into the tub, and Regina moves to the other side to give her some room, but the blonde is having none of it and grabs Regina's wrist. "Come closer to me."

Regina does her bidding and comes closer until they're skin to skin. It's not just Maleficent's hands that are warm. So is the rest of her body.

"Don't be shy," Maleficent murmurs and strokes Regina's hair.

"I'm not." But she _is_ a little shy. This isn't exactly a situation she counted on finding herself in when she first met Maleficent.

"The maids at the castle probably wonders where I am," Regina muses more to herself than to Maleficent.

"No, they don't," Maleficent says and rubs Regina's shoulders lightly.

"And how can you be so sure of that?"

"I took care of all that after you fell asleep," the blonde says with a dismissal wave of her hand. "When you return, no one will even have noticed you were gone."

"Hmm," Regina says and reminds herself to ask Rumplestiltskin to teach her that spell.

"Is the water warm enough for you?" Maleficent asks, and Regina quickly snaps out of her thoughts.

"Oh yes, it's fine."

"Good. We can't have you getting cold."

Regina scoffs a little, but she still relishes in it. Maleficent _cares_ for her. It's been a long time since anyone did that.

Maleficent stops rubbing her shoulders and lowers her lips to her neck instead. Regina instantly shudders at the contact and tips her head back a little to give Maleficent better access.

Maleficent hums in approval and Regina yelps quietly when she feels the other woman's teeth sink into her neck. Maleficent just _bit_ her. Regina knows that she probably should have a problem with that, but oddly enough she doesn't. She _likes_ it. How odd.

"You're mine now," Maleficent teases.

Regina sniffs haughtily. She's tempted to inform Maleficent that she technically is Leopold's, but she has no desire to think of her husband in this bathtub.

Maleficent nips at her neck again, and this time Regina makes an "mm!" sound in the back of her throat.

"You like that, don't you?" Maleficent asks plainly.

"Yes." Regina answers just as straight forward. She has no reason to lie. Her reaction is obvious, and they are well past the point of lying to one another.

Maleficent laughs and says, "turn around", so Regina does, and she once again takes in the image of the other woman.

"You're beautiful." Regina says spontaneously and immediately feels a little stupid.

But Maleficent's face lights up in a smile. "Why thank you, darling. But I think my beauty pales in comparison to you."

Before Regina gets the chance to respond to that startling statement, Maleficent wrap her arms around her, pulls her closer and then covers her lips with her own.

Regina eagerly returns the kiss, had been hoping for a kiss since she opened her eyes, so this is a most welcome gesture. She wants to touch, too, but she isn't quite sure _how_. So she settles for burying her fingers in Maleficent's half-wet golden tresses.

Maleficent pulls her even closer. Now they're pressed up against each other and Regina feels how her nipples hardens at the contact. And it doesn't get better when Maleficent hand slides down and cups her breast.

"Maleficent, I… Mmpf!" It's not terribly coherent, but Maleficent seems to understand her completely. Her hand travels lower and with the tip of her finger she finds Regina's clit.

Regina's breath instantly hitches and her hips bucks and she sloshes water all over the floor. She can't control her movements. All she can do is moan deeply and hope that Maleficent takes mercy on her.

And she _does_. The blonde immediately starts circling Regina's clit, and Regina bites her lip to keep herself quiet, and she buries her face in the crook of Maleficent's neck.

"Don't hold back, darling. I want to hear you," Maleficent encourages and rubs at her again.

That little ministration alone is enough to make Regina start babbling incoherent nonsense like she has never done it before.

Maleficent sniggers satisfied, and her hand leaves the back of her neck. Regina hisses when Maleficent uses her other hand to cup her breast and tug gently at her nipple.

Regina cries out again and those flames erupts in her body again. Now she knows what those flames means, and everything briefly tightens inside her as she releases with a sharp cry.

She goes completely boneless and if it hadn't been for Maleficent, she would most definitely have ended up with her head under the water. But Maleficent grabs her upper arms and holds her up.

"It really would be a terrible shame if you drowned, darling."

Regina giggles softly. She's still a little rattled and her head is spinning.

"Come. Let's get you out of the tub. The water is getting cold."

"Not yet," Regina protests.

"And why is that?"

"I… I can't stand," Regina admits and her cheeks flushes at the admission. But it's the truth. Her legs feel like jelly all over again.

Maleficent laughs warmly and presses a light kiss to the top of her head. "Then I guess we'll have to wait a little longer."

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	11. Lesson Number One

_**Lesson number one**_

Maleficent waits very patiently until Regina is "capable" of walking again. Then both women stand from the bath and Regina quickly slips the bathrobe back on. She still feels rather weak in her knees and doesn't say much as they leave the bathroom and Maleficent offers her fruit and bread for breakfast.

Maleficent doesn't seem phased by her silence, she just flashes Regina a smile now and again when Regina looks up.

Regina takes another bite of the sliced apple Maleficent offered her (I know apples are your favorite, darling) and looks down at her hands. Her body is still buzzing and she's already craving to be touched again. And it's beginning to feel a bit embarrassing. Up until now, touch had been in short supply in Regina's life, and now every nerve in her body is aching to be touched by Maleficent again.

Regina chews nervously at her bottom lip. She isn't quite sure how to handle these new "desires".

Maleficent cocks her head at Regina and looks quizzingly at her.

Regina quickly stuffs a grape into her mouth. That's one way of avoiding questions.

But as soon as she has swallowed the sweet fruit, Maleficent asks her:

"What's troubling you, my sweet?"

"Nothing."

"Are we lying to one another again?" Maleficent drawls and scoots closer to the fireplace where Regina is sitting.

Regina bobs her shoulders.

Maleficent chuckles lightly and puts a warm hand on Regina's knee. She lazily draws some sort of pattern on her knee and says: "You are _so_ sweet. So very, _very_ sweet."

Regina frowns a little at Maleficent's choice of words. "You make me sound like some sort of _child_."

"Trust me, I would never refer to you as a child Your Majesty. You are the furthest thing from a child."

And with that she takes the grape from Regina's hand, puts it back down on the tray and kisses the brunette.

This, _this_ is exactly what Regina needed, and she almost feverishly responds to the kiss. She squirms and wiggles until she's practically sitting on Maleficent's lap.

Maleficent doesn't seem to mind that, though. She simply adjusts Regina a bit and pushes her tongue in between Regina's already parted lips.

Regina buries her fingers in Maleficent's soft tresses and feels herself stiffen for a split second when Maleficent's hands slides a bit lower and lands on her bottom. That's definitely something she hasn't tried before, but she can't say that she _minds_ being touched there.

As to confirm that, Maleficent gives her rear a soft squeeze, and Regina "mphhs" into the kiss. Yes, she definitely likes that.

Regina deepens the kiss and she's so deeply engaged in what she's doing that she doesn't even realize, she moved her hands until Maleficent suddenly moans into the kiss.

Oh. Regina pauses. Her fingers aren't buried in Maleficent's golden hair anymore. They're splayed wide on the sorceress' breasts instead. Regina blushes a little. She didn't even notice she had moved her hands, and she suddenly feels a little embarrassed about, well- _touching_ the other woman so boldly. Maybe she should move her hands away. She slowly withdraws her hands.

Maleficent's hand shoots up and lies heavily on Regina's wrist. "Don't." she murmurs and guides Regina's hand back to its original position.

Regina nods a little.

"Let's make this lesson number one," Maleficent drawls. "Now kiss me again."

And for some reason, it doesn't bother Regina that it very much sounds like a command. These kinds of commands she can "obey", and she instantly leans in and captures Maleficent's lips again.

She tries to remember everything Maleficent did to _her_ last night, and she finds it surprisingly easy to touch Maleficent the right way. Maleficent moans into the kiss and arches, presses her breast into Regina's hand.

Delighted with her "progress", Regina zeroes in on Maleficent's nipples, teases the hardened buds exactly like Maleficent did to her last night.

" _Yes_ ," Maleficent hisses. "That's _it_ , Regina. Don't stop. Keep going."

Regina moves her lips to Maleficent neck instead. It's terribly tempting to sink her teeth into the soft flesh, just once. But she isn't quite bold enough. She can't be sure that Maleficent would like that.

But Maleficent certainly likes what Regina is doing right now. Her head lolls back slightly, giving Regina perfect access to her pretty neck.

Regina is positive she could keep doing this forever, teasing Maleficent's nipples through the fabric of her robe. Her nipples are completely hard, and moans tumbles from the blonde's lips.

Regina wants nothing more than to just untie that silly robe and rid Maleficent of it for good, but Maleficent suddenly grabs her hand and guides it in between her slightly parted legs.

"Like… this," she rasps and demonstrates by moving Regina's hand back and forward in rough, quick motions.

Regina instantly tries to mirror the action as best as she can.

"Faster, darling," Maleficent hisses.

Regina quickens the pace slightly. The damned robe is still in the way, but Maleficent doesn't seem to mind that one bit. She moans and throws her head back and bucks her hips into Regina's hand. "Yes, Regina! Keep doing that,"

Regina has absolutely no interest in stopping this. In fact, she feels quite curious about what will happen if she just…

Maleficent shrieks when Regina quickens the pace, she cries out in some foreign language Regina isn't familiar with, and then her nails digs into Regina's back.

Regina doesn't stop what she's doing until her hand gets slightly damp, and Maleficent's nails almost feels painful through the thin robe.

Maleficent falls back against the cushions and blankets and Regina climbs off her lap. She can't be certain, but she _thinks_ she did pretty well.

"I'd say, Regina," Maleficent drawls and her voice is somewhat hoarse. "You are quite the quick student."

"Was that… alright?" Regina asks a bit doubtful.

Maleficent chuckles. "That was a little more than just _alright_ , darling. Are you quite sure you haven't tried this before?"

Regina blushes and shakes her head. She hasn't. The only type of "experience" she can draw upon is the few times she did this to herself. But that wasn't quite as "successful" as this was, and it's definitely much too embarrassing to talk about.

"Don't blush," Maleficent says and brushes her fingertips against Regina's cheek. "You did _so_ well."

"Thank you," Regina says. She isn't sure how to respond to the praise.

"Thank _you_ ," Maleficent teases and brushes a dark tendril behind Regina's ear.

Maleficent soon recovers and sits up again. Regina is aware that what she did to Maleficent wasn't quite as powerful as what the blonde did to _her_. Maleficent isn't having trouble with getting her legs to cooperate, and that was what Regina had hoped for.

Oh, well.

"Why is it different for me?" Regina asks and takes a small sip of the wine Maleficent just served her.

"Why is what different, darling?"

Regina gestures to the cushions and pillows. "Last night when we-..." she chooses to wave her hand instead of using words. "You insisted upon being in your bedchambers, but you didn't mind us- _me_ , uh… doing things here."

Maleficent's eyes sparkles with unspoken amusement. "You're a queen. And you were a maid. You deserved to have it done the right way. And the right way isn't on the floor."

"But now…"

"Now?" Maleficent echoes and raises an eyebrow slightly.

"I'm not a maid anymore," Regina says and practically winces at the word _maid_.

"Are you saying you wouldn't mind the floor?"

"Yes."

Maleficent's smile widens. "I think I've made quite the discovery with you, darling."

"Meaning what?"

"That you and I are gonna have loads of _fun_ together."

Now Regina smiles too. She likes the sound of _that_.

"So, what happens now?" she asks.

"Now," Maleficent chuckles. "We finish our breakfast and then I'll perhaps give you your second lesson."

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	12. In the Dark

_**In the dark**_

Another lesson.

Regina isn't quite sure how that's gonna unfold, but Maleficent encourages her to "finish her breakfast".

So Regina does, and when she's finished, Maleficent simply sends the lot away with a wave of her hand.

"Now darling," Maleficent says and licks her lips. "Are you ready to be… _taught_?

Regina nods. "What do you want me to do?"

"Do?" Maleficent echoes and chuckles a little. "Oh no, you've already done plenty, darling. This lesson is about _you_."

Regina frowns a little at that. She had expected to "learn" some more, but she supposes that can wait a little while longer. She nods slightly as to confirm Maleficent's words.

"Lie back," Maleficent says and pats the thick blankets in front of the fireplace. "You said you didn't mind the floor, and I'm choosing to believe that."

Regina obeys and lies back on the blankets; her dark hair spreads out on the pillow underneath her head. She tips her head slightly to look up at Maleficent.

"Now," Maleficent smirks slightly as she hovers above her. "You just relax and let me handle… things."

"Things?"

"You."

Regina nods but nevertheless ponders about Maleficent's choice of words. She wasn't aware that she needed to be _handled_.

"Close your eyes," Maleficent instructs, and Regina frowns again.

"Why?" she challenges.

"Because it will feel much better with your eyes closed."

Regina does as she's told, but she isn't so sure about this. Closing her eyes means not being able to see what's going on. Closing her eyes means losing control. And if there's something Regina doesn't like, it's to lose control.

Now she can't see anything, but she can feel Maleficent loosening the strings in her bathrobe and opening it. Regina shudders when she feels a breeze of cold air on her skin, and she's certain goosebumps appears when she feels Maleficent running her fingers over her naked skin.

Maleficent continues to run her fingers up and down her body, and Regina wonders how long she's going to keep that up. Is she doing it on purpose? To rile her up?

Regina shudders again and bites her lip when she feels Maleficent's hand on her stomach. This _does_ feel nice, she supposes, and her skin is slowly warming up, but as opposed to last night, she doesn't feel that delicious pull in her abdomen. And it makes her just a little bit disappointed.

"Hrmf!" Regina's breath hitches when Maleficent rather suddenly palms her breast.

"Don't open your eyes," Maleficent reminds her. "It would only ruin the element of… surprise." She rolls Regina's nipple between her fingers.

Regina keeps her eyes firmly shut and listens to her breathing and the sound of the flickering flames. She has no idea what Maleficent is going to do next, and it both thrills and frustrates her.

Maleficent takes her time with rolling Regina's nipple between her fingers while she kneads Regina's other breast. Regina concentrates on keeping her eyes closed and she soon picks up on how her nipples pebbles and hardens under Maleficent's touch.

She makes another strangled sound in the back of her throat.

Maleficent laughs, and Regina can't blame her. That sound was definitely unbefitting for a queen.

But she can't possibly care about that right now. She can't care about being a queen right now. Because right now, she _isn't_ a queen. She's a woman, enjoying the attention and affection someone else is showing her.

 _Affection_. The word is unfamiliar. Regina isn't used to that, and perhaps affection is too strong a word. Yes, this isn't affection. This is _attraction_. Just that and nothing more.

"Argh!" Regina moans when she suddenly feels Maleficent's hand between her legs. The sorceress rubs her once, much like Regina did to her earlier, and Regina's hips seems to act on their own.

"I think you're about ready," Maleficent purrs, and Regina is half-certain she understands what Maleficent means. That certain _pull_ between her thighs has come back, and she's shockingly wet.

"Open your legs for me, my sweet," Maleficent murmurs and Regina spreads her legs apart slightly.

"Wider," Maleficent husks and Regina spreads her legs farther apart.

"Yes, like that. Perfect. Keep your eyes closed."

Regina does that and releases a new series of moans when Maleficent's hands start probing around between her legs. She strokes her inner thigh, brushes a finger through Regina's wetness and finally pushes inside her.

Regina bites her lip. It still hurts a bit. Not as much as last night, but it hurts, and she feels slightly annoyed by that. It shouldn't hurt _now_ , should it? She's not a maid anymore.

"Relax." Maleficent coos.

Oh. She's straining against Maleficent's finger. That's why it hurts. Regina takes a shuddering breath and relaxes her muscles. It works as intended. The intrusion feels less painful now.

"Are you alright?" Maleficent asks and Regina feels her lips on her neck.

"Yes."

Maleficent starts moving inside her, her fingers crooks slightly and Regina gasps sharply when Maleficent's finger finds that particular spot again. That spot that makes her head spin and the pull between her legs so much stronger.

"Mmm!" Regina breathes. It doesn't hurt anymore. It just feels _good_. So very, _very_ good.

Maleficent almost withdraws her finger and then pushes back inside, and when she adds a second finger, Regina is quite positive she'll combust at any moment.

The pull intensifies, and Regina feels a buzzing sensation that begins in her heels and travels up, up, up, spreads in her abdomen like a million little firecrackers. The flames licks at her again, and Regina mentally prepares herself for what's coming next.

But just as she's getting closer and closer to that edge, Maleficent suddenly withdraws her fingers and leaves Regina empty and panting and desperate for more.

"Why are you stopping?" Regina complains. She's almost whining, but she doesn't care one bit right now. She's still burning and aching between her legs and she feels tempted to squeeze them apart just to get a bit of friction.

Maleficent answers by pressing a feather light kiss to her stomach, and Regina melts into the plushness of the blanket again. That feels nice. She relishes in having Maleficent so close to her again, and the burning in her heels begins anew.

Just as Regina was getting used to the attention Maleficent was giving her stomach, the sorceress suddenly takes her "attention" lower, to Regina's abdomen, and Regina exhales softly.

That exhale turns into a sharp, wheezing gasp when Maleficent catches her completely off-guard and presses a kiss directly to her sex.

Regina ignores Maleficent's words and opens her eyes and sits half up on the blankets. "What are you _doing_?!" Maleficent's head is between her thighs. That much is obvious, but _what_ she's doing there is unclear to Regina and she suddenly feels rather unsure.

"Shh, shh, shh," Maleficent admonishes gently and rises from her position to cup Regina's cheek. "Trust me. You'll like it."

Regina frowns. She had been caught off guard, but she supposes that kiss had felt rather _good_.

"Relax," Maleficent croons. "And let me show you how good it feels."

Regina settles back down on the blanket and closes her eyes again. Maleficent didn't ask her too, but for some reason, the sight of Maleficent between her legs is embarrassing. She's still wet, but she fears that she'll be too embarrassed to allow herself to feel _anything_.

Wrong.

The second she lies back down, Maleficent's mouth is _everywhere_ , and Regina cries out. Her hands seem to be following some sort of carnal instinct, and they thread through Maleficent's golden tresses, pushes against her head toward… Toward _what_ , exactly?

Maleficent seems to know exactly what it is Regina needs but cannot voice properly and wraps her lips around Regina's clit and sucks.

Regina cries out again, this time more high-pitched. She's burning. Everything is burning. The tingles she felt earlier aren't tingles anymore, they're _flames,_ and they travel fast this time, spreads from her heels and shoots into her abdomen like… like… _magic_.

Her hips bucks, her back arches, she's screaming and babbling nonsense and " _Maleficent, Maleficent, Maleficent_!"

Maleficent, deprived of her voice responds by sucking harder and white light explodes behind Regina's eyes, sparks erupt from her fingertips, and her wails echoes through the Forbidden Fortress.

She's incapable of opening her eyes. She's incapable of closing her legs. Hell, she's incapable of _thinking_.

" _Fuck_!" she moans and throws one arm over her eyes.

"Ex _cuse_ me?" Maleficent replies, and Regina can hear the amusement bubbling beneath the surface.

"Tut, tut, little queen, who taught you such foul language?" Maleficent scolds.

Regina claps a hand over her mouth and giggles softly. That was definitely unbefitting for a queen too.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" Maleficent says huskily and wipes droplets of sweat away from Regina's forehead.

"My apologies," Regina drawls and finally opens her eyes. "I don't know what came over me."

Maleficent laughs and Regina giggles. She feels positively _giddy_. Is that how it's gonna feel every time this happens?

"That was very, uh…" Regina says half-heartedly and sits up.

"Pleasurable?" Maleficent suggests without batting an eye.

"Yes. That." Regina says and shrugs her robe back on.

Maleficent laughs again. "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, darling. That was what this was all about."

"Can we… Can you try that again sometimes?" Regina asks hesitantly and blushes crimson. She isn't sure how much she can demand of the sorceress, but at the same time she's desperate to recreate that wonderful feeling.

"Oh, _absolutely_ , darling," Maleficent says and grips the back of Regina's neck and kisses her hard.

"Or maybe," Regina says once Maleficent lets her catch her breath again. "You could teach _me_ how to…?"

"That's certainly a possibility too, my sweet." Maleficent breathes and nips at her neck. "I must say you're quite eager."

" _Too_ eager?"

"No, no. There's no such thing. It's very fortunate that we have plenty of time on our hands to practice."

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	13. Lesson Number Two

**Lesson Number Two:**

For the rest of the day they don't talk about "lessons", not the kind of "lessons" Regina wants anyway.

Instead, Maleficent teaches her more magic.

Which of course is a good thing, but Regina is having problems with concentrating. The memory of Maleficent and what she did to her is still fresh in her mind, and Maleficent scolds her for not paying attention.

And for once Regina accepts to be scolded. She deserves it. She knows she's not paying attention.

But it's all Maleficent's fault.

Regina tries her best to concentrate, to really make an effort, and eventually her hard work pays off and she starts focusing again.

But when it begins to darken outside the Forbidden Fortress, Maleficent rubs her hands together, gives Regina a certain _look_ and says: "Now, my darling. Are you ready for your next _lesson_?"

The implication goes over Regina's head, and she says: "A lesson? But, we practiced magic all day?"

Maleficent laughs sweetly and her arms winds around Regina's waist, pulling her closer. "No, darling. Not a magic lesson. Though, I suppose it _can_ be magical if you know what to do."

"Oh." Regina flushes a little. The pressure is on. She wants to do good. She so badly wants it to be enjoyable for Maleficent, but she knows she's on shaky ground here.

"Come." Maleficent says, takes Regina's hand and leads her back into her bedchambers.

Regina follows her and waits as Maleficent closes the door. She isn't sure why Maleficent does that. Surely, no one would barge into the Forbidden Fortress.

With a swish of her skirts, Maleficent is in front of her again, and she gently cups Regina's cheek and leans in and kisses her.

Regina immediately returns her kiss and buries her fingers in Maleficent's soft tresses. This she knows how to do. Kissing the other woman is one of the easiest things in this wicked world.

And Maleficent seems to enjoy it, even seems pleasantly surprised when Regina's tongue begs for entrance in her mouth.

For a while, they just kiss each other heatedly, and Regina finds her own hands to be roaming all over Maleficent's body.

Maleficent doesn't mind that either. She simply exhales and "mm's!" softly when Regina grazes her breasts with her fingertips.

This seems almost too easy. And too good to be true, too. Maleficent just "giving" herself to Regina. That takes trust. Maleficent _trusts_ her, Regina realizes. How odd. How strange, when Regina barely trusts herself.

Regina remembers parts of what Maleficent did to her, and she sweeps her tongue over Maleficent's bottom lip, nips lightly.

Maleficent hums in approval again, and Regina grows bold. She splays her fingers wide over Maleficent's breasts, can feel her nipples harden under the dress and corset.

" _Excellent_ ," Maleficent says, and it comes out a bit breathless.

Regina understands that she's doing well, and that only encourages her further. She moves her lips to Maleficent's neck and peppers the soft flesh with kisses.

Maleficent hisses, actually _hisses_ , and up until now, Regina had no idea how much she could sound like a dragon when she was in human form. The blonde also tightens her grip around Regina a little, and Regina is so grateful that the sorceress dress has a low collar. That gives Regina perfect access to her collarbone and sternum.

" _Regina_ …" Maleficent says softly, and it's like music in Regina's ear. No one has ever said her name like that before.

She finds Maleficent's lips again and she grips the back of Maleficent's neck. She wants to be closer to her. This isn't enough. Kissing her is not enough. Not anymore.

Maleficent's hands lands on her breasts, and Regina has to remind herself not to be greedy. This isn't about her. Not this time. No, _this_ is about Maleficent.

"Undress me," Maleficent says, and Regina is certain she can hear the fast _thump-thump_ of her heart.

"Slowly." Maleficent adds.

Regina doesn't hesitate. Undressing the other woman shouldn't be too difficult. Regina is used to opening dresses and unlacing corsets.

But slowly… that's a bit trickier, and Regina reminds herself to slow down as she opens the line of tiny buttons in Maleficent's dress. She takes her time in admiring her, gliding her fingers over the soft flesh, and by the time the dress finally slips from Maleficent's shoulders, Maleficent is panting and gasping.

She doesn't have to tell Regina to remove the underskirts. Regina simply does it, and Maleficent steps out of them.

Regina comes up in front of her again. Maleficent doesn't seem one bit shy at being left only in her corset and panties, and she's absolutely beautiful. Her figure is perfect, flawless. Regina swallows.

"And now the corset," Maleficent says hoarsely and reminds Regina why they're here and what they're doing. "Slowly. Take your time like you did with the dress."

Regina nods wordlessly and starts working on the strings in Maleficent's corset. For a moment she panics. There's a knot that simply refuses to bend to her will, but Regina manages to open it, and her breathing slows down as the corset becomes looser and looser on Maleficent's figure.

There are no angry red marks on Maleficent's back, Regina notices. Maybe she isn't binding the corset as tightly as Regina does.

Regina slides her fingertip up and down Maleficent's spine, and then she follows an impulse. She bends slightly, kneels almost as she kisses a path from Maleficent's lower back to the nape of her neck.

Maleficent throws her head back, and Regina watches fascinated as her spine arches.

Regina kisses the same path again, just to see if Maleficent does it again. And that she does.

Then it occurs to the brunette, that she hasn't even _seen_ Maleficent yet, and that's an obvious mistake. Regina rises to her normal height and puts her hands on Maleficent's hips to spin her around.

As opposed to Regina, Maleficent isn't shy, and she smirks slightly as she willingly turns around and lets Regina see her.

Regina's mouth goes dry, but the wetness starts pooling between her thighs, and she wonders if Maleficent feels the same.

"You've undressed me. Now take me to bed." Maleficent says gently and holds her hand out towards Regina.

Regina accepts the outstretched hand and gives up control for just a moment as Maleficent leads them over to the bed. The blonde sorceress lies back on the bed and looks pending at Regina, clearly waiting for her next move.

Regina licks her dry lips and climbs on top of Maleficent. She kisses her. Just to gather her thoughts for a moment and remember what Maleficent did to her.

Once again, Regina follows her instincts and wiggles a bit, adjusts herself better on top of the blonde, and then she kisses Maleficent's neck, her collarbone, her sternum, and finally the top of her breast.

Maleficent groans underneath her.

Regina licks her lips again. She almost feels shy when she does it, but she's certain Maleficent will enjoy it, so she pushes her shyness away and drags her tongue over Maleficent's nipple.

The sorceress moans. Her hands clutch at Regina's back. " _Yes_ , darling. That's _it_. Again."

Regina obeys and does it again. The response she draws from Maleficent is absolutely exquisite, and she laps at her one more time.

Maleficent rolls her hips and arches her back, and when she speaks again, the words are slightly slurred: "Suck."

Regina does as she's told, and her mind starts to go slightly foggy. She's wet and throbbing between her legs, but she ignores it for now and concentrates on Maleficent. The blonde suddenly grabs her hand and guides it to her other breast.

Oh. Right. So far, she has only paid attention to one breast, and that's not right. Regina wets her fingertips in her mouth and rolls Maleficent's nipple between her fingers while she continues to suck on her other nipple.

" _Darling. Regina_ …" Maleficent breathes and rolls her hips again.

The sound alone is enough to make Regina's mind spin even more, and she acts on a hunch and switches her attention to Maleficent's other breast. She plucks lightly at the nipple, takes it between her teeth and sucks almost harshly. If she's being too rough, Maleficent isn't showing it at all, in fact she's moaning and panting underneath Regina, the words that leaves her mouth aren't terrible coherent anymore, but Regina doesn't mind. She's fairly contend with what she's doing right now.

Maleficent suddenly begins pushing at the crown of Regina's head, and Regina looks up to see what's the matter. Maybe she did something wrong.

"Lower," Maleficent mouths, and when Regina isn't acting at once, she clarifies: "I need you a bit further down, darling."

Oh. _Oh_. Regina clearly hears what Maleficent is saying, and her breath quickens. What if she doesn't know what to do? What if she's bad at it? What if she does something wrong, or even worse, hurts Maleficent?

"Darling, _please_." Maleficent says. "Please, Regina. You've done _so_ well, but now I need you to go lower. Can you do that for me?"

She isn't demanding, she's _asking_ , and Regina really can't call this off now. Not when Maleficent is pink cheeked and panting and oh so lovely and bright eyed.

Regina ignores the anxiety boiling in her stomach and trails soft kisses down Maleficent's belly. Maleficent eases back down on the bed and her stomach muscles flexes when Regina dips her tongue into her navel.

Regina reaches Maleficent's abdomen and pauses for a moment. Maleficent is panting and her thighs quakes slightly. Regina wonders what will happen if she just…

Maleficent hisses and grips a fistful of Regina's hair when Regina presses a light kiss to her sex, on the outside of her panties.

Those will definitely have to go. Regina slowly drags the material down Maleficent's legs and notes, a bit surprised, how sodden the material is. Did Regina really do _this_ to Maleficent?

" _Darling_ …" Maleficent half-warns and Regina sees her open her thighs slightly.

This is the part Regina is most unsure of. She feels as if she's flying blindly, and Maleficent isn't doing much to guide her. Maybe she can't speak right now. Or maybe she's giving Regina a chance to follow her instincts.

And following her instincts is exactly what Regina does. If Maleficent won't guide her, she'll just have to figure this out by herself. The result be damned. She nudges Maleficent's legs further apart and settles between them. She closes her eyes for a moment. Tries to remember what Maleficent did to _her_. What felt good.

She starts out slowly, gradually and brushes her fingertip over Maleficent's clit. Maleficent's hips bucks and her back arches again. Oh. Regina does it again. Maleficent moans her name. Regina cups her. Maleficent is so _wet_. Drenched. Sodden. Regina shouldn't have any problems with…

She slides one finger inside the blonde, and Maleficent's mouth falls open. She moans again and grinds herself on Regina's finger, a clear invitation to _move_ , and Regina does just that. She crooks her finger slightly, probes around until she finds a spot that makes Maleficent cry out sharply.

Good. This is good. Regina inserts a second finger and thumps them against that very same spot. Maleficent's hips starts moving, not wriggling any more, but moving in tandem with Regina's fingers, and the sound of the blonde's voice fills Regina's ear. Although the blonde is barely coherent right now, Regina has no problem with recognizing her own name among the nonsense.

"Faster, my darling," Maleficent croaks and her words are suddenly crystal clear.

Regina obeys and quickens her pace until her wrist begins to cramp slightly.

But the pain is so worth it. Maleficent's mouth once again falls open, her back arches, she garbles out a string of words Regina isn't sure suits her pretty mouth, and then the dragon sorceress collapses against the mattress, moaning loudly.

Regina feels how her fingers gets drenched and she slowly withdraws them from Maleficent. Her tongue darts out and she curiously licks the juices off her fingers. It tastes… sweet. Hmm. How strange. Not a bad taste at all.

Maleficent grabs her wrist and pulls her into her arms. Regina isn't sure why, exactly, but the embrace feels rather nice.

"Am I _really_ your first woman, little one?" Maleficent asks and props herself up on one eyebrow.

"Yes, of course," Regina says and narrows her eyes. Maleficent knows that. When in the world should Regina have been with a woman?

"I'm impressed, darling." Maleficent rasps. " _Very_ impressed."

A smile blossoms on Regina's lips. "So this was… alright?"

" _Alright_ ," Maleficent huffs. "Darling, that was _amazing_."

Regina giggles.

"Now tell me," Maleficent purrs silkily. "Did _you_ like it?"

"Yes," Regina says immediately. Watching Maleficent fall apart for her had been unbelievably pleasurable. Perhaps even _too_ pleasurable. She's still wet and achy between her thighs.

"What's the matter, darling?" Maleficent asks and raises an eyebrow at the grimace on Regina's face.

"I'm…" Regina groans half-heartedly and gestures to her abdomen in lack of better words.

"Oh…" Maleficent chuckles and pushes herself up from the mattress. "Well, then you better lift those skirts for me, my sweet."

And Regina doesn't hesitate before doing just that.

 _ **To Be Continued….**_


	14. In Secret

**In Secret**

It seems almost unbearable and impossible to imagine, but even seven days of nothing but bliss comes to an end, and Regina has to return home to the king's castle.

What an impossible thought. What an absurdity.

But she has no choice. The king and his little brat of a daughter will return home tonight, and so much Regina.

Neither Regina nor Maleficent says a lot as Regina puts her dress and cloak back on. Maleficent doesn't look one bit pleased, and Regina wants nothing more than to turn back time, so she could relive these seven days.

Once she's dressed, there aren't anymore excuses, so she says: "I better get going. The road is long, and I have to be home before nightfall."

Maleficent scoffs. " _I'll_ take you home, my sweet." And with that she takes Regina's hand and leads her out in the courtyard.

Regina watches as Maleficent's frame is cloaked in magic, and the next moment, that dragon stands where Maleficent stood.

Maleficent lowers her head and Regina understand that she's supposed to climb up. So she does. Swiftly she mounts the enormous dragon, Maleficent folds her wings out and ascends towards the sky.

Regina hangs on to her scaly neck. The wind blows through her hair, and despite the prospect of parting with Maleficent, she can't help but to enjoy this ride.

The ride to the king's castle is short, too short, and before she knows, Maleficent lands safely behind the trees where they are completely shielded from curious looks.

Regina reluctantly glides down the dragons back and lands elegantly on her feet. So this is. This is when they say goodbye.

"Well, darling," Maleficent says as she transforms back to her human form.

"Yes, I guess that was it," Regina says bitterly.

"Is it?" Maleficent replies and raises an eyebrow. "Do you not wish to see me again, darling?"

"Of course I do," Regina scoffs, "But…"

"Then we'll find a way to see one another," Maleficent says firmly.

Regina nods, but she has no illusions. Snow will cling to her, demand her attention from morning to evening. The girl will undoubtedly take advance of being back with her stepmother.

Maleficent grasps her chin and kisses her fiercely. Perhaps she's seen the doubt in Regina's eyes.

Regina returns the kiss and wraps her arms tightly around Maleficent. Perhaps even a little _too_ tightly, but she doesn't care. She fears this is the last time she'll see the sorceress, so she _will_ make the most of this kiss.

Maleficent pecks her lips again, then she plants a very, very light kiss on Regina's neck, and Regina shivers a little at that.

"You're _mine_ ," Maleficent says silkily.

Regina looks back at Leopold's castle behind her. "No, I'm not. We both know that."

"Shh!" Maleficent says and presses her lips against Regina's again. "Don't ruin it."

Regina giggles a little.

They both linger, prolong their goodbye, none of them wants to let the other one go, but eventually they part, with kisses and whole-hearted promises about seeing each other again.

But this isn't the first time Regina has given a false promise. She rather doubts that she and Maleficent will see each other again any time soon. Regina will be hold up with her royal duties and her studies, and Maleficent probably have her own things to do. Whatever those things might be.

Regina feels completely drained as she walks towards the castle. She's tired. Tired, from everything that has happened during these past seven days, but it's more than that. She already misses Maleficent terribly. Her body aches for her.

The massive gate creaks as Regina sneaks into the castle, but there's no one around to hear that creak. It would appear that Maleficent hasn't lowered whatever sleeping spell she cast upon the castle, and Regina sneak's unseen like a ghost into her bedchambers.

She'll need a bath. And something to eat. And then she'll go to bed and get a few hours of sleep before the king and Snow returns home. She needs sleep. She's positively _exhausted_.

Regina absentmindedly discards of her cloak and runs a finger through her wind-blown hair. Then she starts working on the strings in her dress.

"And where have _you_ been, dearie?"

Regina inhales sharply, but she quickly recovers from the shock and spins around, one hand holding the front of her dress together. Rumplestiltskin is sitting nonchalantly on the stool in front of her vanity table.

"The young princess and the good king away to visit King Midas, but the little queen didn't accompany them, nor was she to be found in her own home," Rumplestiltskin continues and flashes Regina a toothy grin.

"And what's it to _you_ , imp?" Regina sniffs and ties her dress back up again. "Where I've been is _my_ business. And I doubt you've been concerned about me."

"You missed your lessons," Rumplestiltskin remarked and tilted his head.

"I was otherwise engaged. A queen never truly rests," Regina says smoothly and squares her shoulders.

Rumplestiltskin suddenly flashes her a rather chilling grin and disappears from the stool. Regina doesn't even flinch when he re-appears, only inches from her face.

Rumplestiltskin tilts his head slightly, leans in and inhales sharply through his nose as he breathes in Regina's scent. His chilling grin immediately turns into that terrible giggle that haunts Regina's nightmares.

"Well, well, well," he giggles and claps his hands. "Isn't this _delightful_."

Regina sneers at him. She has no idea how, but Rumplestiltskin clearly _knows_ , and Regina is tempted to kick him out of her bedchambers.

But she doesn't. Instead she simply glares at him. "What's it to _you_?" she repeats.

Rumplestiltskin giggles impishly again and wags a finger in front of her. "Tut, tut, tut, Your Majesty. Imagine what the good king would do if he found out _what_ his queen was doing while he was away."

Regina doesn't respond to the thread. Mainly because she doesn't believe he would actually tell this to anyone, let alone the king.

"Is there a point to your visit, or are you simply here to pester me?"

"Oooh, _fire_ ," Rumplestiltskin mocks.

"What do you want?" Regina says. Her patience is wearing thin.

Rumplestiltskin flashes her another toothy grin as he waves his hand, making Cora's spell book appear in Regina's hand. "Time to concentrate, dearie."

Regina is more than exhausted when the lesson is over. Her head hurts. Her body hurts, and there's a few bruises here and there from ricocheting spells. But fortunately, they are minor, so it's fairly easy for Regina to lift her hand and make the bruises disappear.

She feels nothing but relief when she's finally able to discard of her dress and let her body sink into a warm, soothing bath. It soothes her aching muscles a little.

Regina tips her head back and closes her eyes. She imagines that Maleficent is here, rubbing her shoulders, kissing her neck. What she wouldn't give to be back in the Forbidden Fortress. And she wonders if Maleficent is thinking about her, too. But then she scoffs, shakes her head. Why on earth should Maleficent be thinking of _her_? the dragon is most likely busy planning her next attack on some kingdom. Maybe Regina was just her way of passing the time.

Regina relaxes in the bath for a while, until one of her chambermaids knocks on the door and asks her if everything is okay. Regina smirks as she tells her that everything is fine. So Maleficent has lifted the sleeping spell.

Once all the tension in her neck and shoulders is gone, Regina stands from the bath and re-dresses in a light, white dress. She spends a while on braiding her hair and then twisting the braid into an up-do. Once that's done, there's no way of telling that's she's been doing anything but minding her own business in the castle.

After she's dressed and done up, her daddy knocks on her door and they take around the castle ground. Regina listens as he tells her about how tired he feels. She feigns being concerned and offer to send for the castle doctor, but in reality, she's well aware that he feels tired because of the "aftershocks" of Maleficent's spell.

But that isn't something her Daddy needs to know.

"We should go to the courtyard. Your husband should be back soon," he says, and Regina sneers.

"The king." Daddy quickly corrects himself. "Forgive me."

Regina softens a little at that, but quickly frowns again when daddy quietly asks her: "Where have you been?"

"What on earth are you talking about, daddy? I've been here." Regina lies smoothly.

"Have you?"

"Yes." Regina has no idea _how_ daddy can possibly know that she hasn't been here. But she's not about to tell him the truth.

"And if you would excuse me, I should go and greet my _husband_." She says sharply and spins around on her heel, leaving her father standing there.

That was cruel of her, she knows that. And she instantly feels guilty for snapping at him. This isn't his fault.

A moment later she stands in the courtyard as the carriage rolls in through the gate. As soon as the carriage door opens, Snow flings herself into Regina's arms, and Regina hugs the girl tightly to make it look like she has missed her.

Rumplestiltskin's little "thread" echoes in her head, and Regina makes an effort and plants a quick kiss on the king's cheek followed by a "welcome home, my king. I trust your journey went well?"

"Very well indeed, my dear," king Leopold replies and looks a little taken aback by Regina's "affection".

But Snow just giggles and declares how wonderful it is to be home with her stepmother again, and Regina looks down at the young girl and smiles sweetly, falsely at her

During the next week, Regina really makes an effort and smiles at breakfast, spends time with Snow, takes her horseback riding, on walks into the woods and tells her stories. Snow relishes in it and talks a great deal about her upcoming, thirteenth birthday.

"You seem different, stepmother," Snow declares one day, on one of their walks to the woods, and Regina flinches.

"I don't think so, dear." She gently dismisses, but Snow is steadfast in her assumption.

"You do. You seem happier," the young girl says firmly.

Regina chuckles and ruffles the young girl's hair, but silently reminds herself to be less obvious.

Regina is positively drained when she returns to her bedchambers one night. The king had been hosting yet another ball tonight.

Another ball. Another night of feeling absolutely invisible while watching the king dancing with his daughter.

Sometimes Regina wonders why the king request her to be there at all. It's quite obvious that the king doesn't need anyone else than Snow. Him, Snow and the memory of queen Eva.

It's amazing how long one can keep a memory alive.

Regina takes off her shoes and removes the million little hairpins from her hair. The crispy up-do falls down her shoulders, and Regina takes her brush and combs through it until it hurts.

Next, she opens her dress and steeps out of it. She doesn't waste time on hanging it in the closet. One of the maids will have to do that in the morning.

The corset is a bit trickier; she binds it too tightly, she knows that, but she doesn't care. For some sick reason, the way the corset digs into her skin and constricts her breathing, feels _good_. Maybe even enjoyable.

She really is twisted.

Regina wiggles into one of her nightgowns, she smoothens the silky material over her hips and then she, as an afterthought, locks her door.

If there's one thing she _isn't_ in the mood for tonight, it's that little brat barging in and yapping on about "the wonderful ball".

No, Regina wants to be alone. She deserves a bit of time on her own after keeping it together for so long.

She pours herself a glass of wine, her six tonight, but who's counting, and then she switches the lights off and goes to bed. It doesn't take her long to drink the wine, and she briefly considers pouring herself a second- a _seventh_ \- glass but decides not to. Her head is already a little floaty as it is, and maybe that's why she suddenly feels wide awake again.

Well, if she can't sleep, why not take advance of this moment of solitude?

Regina closes her eyes, leans back against the pillow and begins circling her nipple through her nightgown. It hardens almost immediately and Regina hums quietly as she continues to tease the nipple with her fingertip. She rarely engages in this sort of thing, but tonight it feels surprisingly _good_. Maybe because of the wine she's been drinking.

She ceases the teasing and wiggles one hand under her nightgown. She rolls the nipples between her fingers and another throaty groan escapes her. It feels so good to get some actual stimuli instead of just teasing. After a while, she switches side and shows her other breast the same kind of attention. Her nipple is already hard, and Regina's breath becomes ragged as she teases her nipple with featherlight touches, then she splays her fingers wide, teases the areola and finally squeezes her breast almost harshly.

Regina gasps when she feels the telltale sign of wetness between her thighs, and then she becomes a bit impressed with herself. This is the quickest, she's ever gotten to this "point". Of course, the images in her head provides her with excellent "inspiration". Her mind is currently running wild, overflowing with memories of what happened not so terribly long ago.

Obviously, the memories aren't quite as good as the real thing, but apparently it's enough tonight.

Regina abandons one breast and slides her hand under the covers. She wiggles a bit until she's lying comfortably. Then she lets her hand travel under the nightgown, in between her thighs. She's wet, _so_ wet, and she wastes no time in rubbing herself through the thin material of her panties.

"Oh _god_!" Regina hisses quietly. She strokes herself again. Once, twice. She's already skittering around on that precipice, and it seems almost a _shame_ to give herself what she want's so quickly. No, she wants to tease herself, that's what she wants.

She opens her legs slightly and cups herself. Then she slides one finger through her wetness, never pushing inside or touching her clit, just teasing strokes until she's moaning and gasping and relishing in the torture. Regina never ceases to stroke herself while she, with her other hand pinches her nipple harshly.

" _Mmmph_!" that _hurt_. But it felt _good_. She pinches her other nipple too, and she bites down hard on her bottom lip not to scream in both pain and pleasure.

It doesn't take her long to realize that she can't handle this for much longer. The wetness pools between her thighs, and she's aching, begging for release. She stops the teasing strokes and finds her clit with her fingertip. Her breath instantly hitches in her throat and she start rubbing herself ferociously. The tingling in her gut intensifies and she can feel herself getting closer and closer to that edge.

" _Fuck_!" she breathes, and the sound is slightly muffled because she currently has one fist curled tightly against her mouth. God forbid if some nosey chambermaid or perhaps even the king should hear what she's doing. She would rather gag herself.

"What is it with you and your foul language?"

Regina comes back to earth with a sharp gasp. She's still breathless and skittering around that edge, but she's aware enough to know that she isn't alone in her chambers.

Her arousal doesn't fizzle out, but she's feeling slightly embarrassed when she finds out that it's Maleficent who's decided to pay her another late-night visit.

Regina slowly exhales, and her cheeks flushes. What a time she the sorceress chose to visit her.

"Oh don't stop on _my_ account, darling," Maleficent purrs. "Forgive me. I shouldn't have interrupted you."

"No, you shouldn't," Regina says a bit grumpily. She's still wet, but she can't possibly do this with an audience.

"Did I ruin something for you, my sweet?"

"Mmm, I think you just might have," Regina complains and looks around after the bottle of wine.

"I could leave…" Maleficent muses, and then she flashes Regina crooked smile. "But I could also stay and… _help_ you."

Regina raises an eyebrow.

"Well, we can't let all your hard work go to waste, now can we?" Maleficent purrs and the bed dips as she sits down. "And since _I'm_ the one who ruined it…"

"Someone could hear us…"

"Well, _that_ depends on _you_ ," Maleficent says and licks her lips. "And you did such a fine job on gagging yourself a second ago…"

Regina's cheeks flush again. "Good god, how long have you _been_ here?!"

"A while," Maleficent shrugs. "I didn't want to interrupt you, but your language caught me by surprise, and.." her long fingers skates up and gives Regina's still hardened nipples a light pet. "You were a bit rough with yourself, my sweet."

"So what?" Regina huffs. "It felt _good_."

Maleficent grins at her. "You should have told me."

"Told you what, exactly?" Regina hisses and bites her lip when Maleficent cups her breast.

"That you didn't mind if I were a little rough with you."

"I-I didn't even know it was option."

"Oh, it is, darling. It's _absolutely_ an option. Now lift that silly nightgown for me."

Regina shoves the covers aside and hitches her nightgown up until its bunched around her waist.

Maleficent promptly slides the panties down Regina's legs and nudges until Regina parts her thighs.

"Well, well, what do we have here," Maleficent hums as she brushes one finger through Regina's wetness.

Regina moans in response.

"Quiet, darling." Maleficent whispers. "Use your hand like you did before…"

Regina curls one hand into a fist and presses it against her mouth.

Maleficent smirks up at her. "good girl"

 _Something_ inside Regina stirs at that, but she doesn't get much of a chance to consider it; Maleficent spreads her legs farther apart and her tongue suddenly laps at Regina.

Regina feels her hips buck and she presses the fist harder against her mouth. Maleficent licks her again, and Regina feels absolutely euphoric. Because of what Maleficent is doing to her, but also because it's happening _here_ , in her own bedchambers. Right under the king's nose.

The thought of that makes her bite down hard on her hand. The king still mourning his beloved first wife, while his second wife is getting pleasured by another woman. And even a dragon sorceress.

" _Yes_!" she whispers and her hips rocks against Maleficent's tongue. Maleficent's hand suddenly emerges from under the covers, and Regina moans again when she gives her nipple a not very gently pinch.

Thanks to her earlier "ministrations", it doesn't take long before Regina is pushed over the edge, and she bites down on her hand again.

Maleficent looks absolutely pleased as she takes Regina's hand and examines the bleeding marks Regina made there. She clicks her tongue and waves her hand, making the bloody marks disappear.

"We can't have the king asking questions, now can we, darling?"

"I suppose not," Regina sighs blissfully. But she can't help but imagine his face if he saw them. if he saw Maleficent's head between her legs, saw how much Regina enjoyed it.

"You're terrible," Maleficent says and chuckles as she gives Regina a light peck on the lips.

"I didn't say anything," Regina says and raises an eyebrow.

"No, but I could hear your thoughts, my sweet. You wouldn't actually have him come in here and catch us together, would you?"

"No of course not," Regina denies firmly, but Maleficent chuckles again and leans in and kisses Regina.

Regina wouldn't have minded this to continue all through the night, but eventually, after a series of heated kisses, Maleficent disappears in a cloud of smoke.

And when Regina wakes up the following morning, she finds a single red rose lying on her pillow with a note attached to it:

"Till the next time, darling."

 **To Be Continued..**


	15. Getting Away With It

_**Getting away with it:**_

It has been a busy few weeks. The whole castle is abuzz, preparing for Snow's upcoming thirteenths birthday, and as her kind and devoted stepmother, Regina is expected to participate in the preparations. Which means that she has to sit and smile and nod while the king comes up with one outraged suggestion after the other.

That includes a noble, white steed.

Oh yes, he's giving that sniveling brat a _horse_. A _horse_. Snow White isn't even _nearly_ ready to ride a horse yet. She's not talented enough. The pony she has now is far better for a girl of her age, much more secure.

But if the king wants his precious daughter to injure herself, Regina is not one to argue.

Unfortunately, the comedy doesn't stop there.

"Perhaps the queen would ride the horse first? To make sure that it is safe?" the king suggests.

Regina smiles falsely and nods. And what if it wasn't safe? What if Regina were to injure herself? What would the king think of _that_?

She's nothing more than a damned Guinea pig. Better her than Snow White.

Regina changes into her riding clothes and walks into the courtyard where the horse is waiting for her.

She can instantly sense that this horse is wild. Untamed, and definitely too young for the inexperienced Snow White to control.

But that's so very typical for the king. To choose a young model because of its looks, not caring about character or personality or whether it's a good match.

Regina leads the horse away from the castle, god forbid that Snow White's surprise should be ruined, and mounts it.

The horse whinnies and stomps nervously in the ground. Regina barely manages to keep herself in the saddle. This is definitely a nervous horse. Far too nervous for Snow White. It's only because Regina is experienced, that she's able to handle it.

"Come on," Regina says gently and gives the horse a light tap with her heels. The horse instantly starts galloping, and before Regina knows it, she's deep into the forest.

She doesn't halt the horse until she absolutely has to. She can't ride too far away, otherwise the king might think she has run off.

Halfway through the forest, the horse throws her off, and Regina lands rather hard on the forest floor. Her head spins for a moment, but it doesn't feel like a concussion, so she grabs the reins and mounts the horse once more. He's a fine stallion, he truly is, but he's a nervous horse, and very unfitting for the princess.

The king and a few of his people awaits her when she comes home.

"How was the ride, Your Majesty?" Johanna asks.

"He's a fine stallion, but I fear he's too wild for Snow White," Regina says truthfully as she climbs off the horse and hands the reins too one of the king's men.

The king purses his lips and narrows his eyes. "Is that really your opinion, my dear?"

"It's the truth," Regina says, and Johanna exchanges a look with another maid. Regina ignores it. She already knows what Snow's nursemaid thinks of her.

"Well, I'm _certain_ my daughter can handle it," King Leopold says firmly. "This fine stallion is without a doubt fit for a princess, wouldn't you agree, Johanna?"

"Without a doubt, Your Majesty," Johanna immediately parrots.

"If that's what you want," Regina says, curtsies and then leaves the courtyard.

Inside, she changes out of her riding clothes. She doesn't send for a maid and asks her to prepare a bath for her, she prefers to fill the tub herself. She winces slightly as she settles down in the water. Her back hurts. Perhaps there's a bruise there. But what does it matter? Who cares if she's bruised or not?

After her bath, Snow demands her attention once again, and once again, Regina is forced to smile and agree to everything that little brat says and do. So Regina is forced to accompany her on a walk to the woods.

"I'm so exited for my birthday, stepmother!" the child beams and Regina smiles down at her.

"Thirteen," Snow dreamily continues. "Can you believe that, stepmother? I'm almost a woman!"

Regina smiles again. "Yes, dear." But she knows that Snow definitely isn't a woman yet. So far from it. She's still a child, immature and naïve.

"And soon I'll be old enough to get married!" Snow babbles. "To get married to a handsome prince!"

"Now, now, dear," Regina says tiredly. "You're not nearly old enough to get married."

"But mother was nearly twenty-one when she married father!" Snow protests. "And you were nineteen…"

"Eighteen, dear, I was eighteen," Regina corrects and bites the inside of her cheek.

"Oh, right, yes, eighteen," Snow says and frowns a little. "Do you think that's too young, stepmother?"

"Come now, dear, we must be home before nightfall," Regina says and takes Snow's hand. She doesn't squeeze the child's hand but bites the inside of her cheek until she can taste the blood in her mouth.

Snow is exited, and it takes her a while to calm down enough to go to sleep.

Regina is tired when she's finally able to retire to her bedchambers for the night. There she waits patiently until everyone goes to sleep. Because Regina has no intentions of going to sleep. She wants to see Maleficent, and she wants to see Maleficent tonight. She refuses to wait another day. Her body is already yearning for her again, has been yearning for her for _days_.

No, she can't _possibly_ wait another day.

So Regina waits and fakes sleep until Johanna as the last one, finally retires to her own bedchamber. Then the young queen sneaks out of her bedchambers, walks down the hall and opens the creaking gate. Her transportation skills are getting better, and this time she manages to transport herself to the edge of the forest. It's not perfect, but it's good enough, and Regina has no problem with walking the rest of the way.

It's a quiet, foggy night, and Regina doesn't mean anyone as she glides through the forest as a ghost. It also happens to be rather dark tonight, but Regina is only grateful for that. She has never been afraid of the dark.

The walk to the Forbidden Fortress is short, and Regina can already feel the tension leave her body as she spots the huge castle. She cleverly evades Maleficent's traps and various curses to keep unwanted visitors out and opens the massive gate. It creaks slightly, and Regina quickly sneaks inside.

The Forbidden Fortress is quiet and dark, too. There's no sign of the castle's occupant either, and Regina feels a pang of disappointment. Perhaps Maleficent isn't even at home? Maybe she's soaring somewhere high in the sky right now. Regina knows how much she enjoys her nightly flights.

Oh, well. Then Regina will wait here until she comes back. She takes a moment and warms herself by the fire, and her eyes linger a little as she looks at the pillows in front of the fireplace. Her stomach curls at the memories of what happened here, by this fireplace.

Once her hands are thoroughly warmed up, she continues into Maleficent's bedchambers.

Regina smiles at what she finds. Maleficent is fast asleep with her golden hair splayed over the pillow. The covers are bundled together by her feet. Of course, they are. Maleficent never gets cold. And she isn't wearing much to bed either. Just a short, purple silk nightgown that ends a good inch above her knee.

Regina licks her lips. Her mouth almost waters at the sight of Maleficent's bare legs, but she pulls herself together. Maleficent is _sleeping_. There's absolutely no reason to disturb her.

But still, she came here to be close to Maleficent, and being close to her is exactly what Regina has in mind when she discards of her cloak, waves her hand and trades her dress and advanced up-do for a simple nightgown and braid that flows down her back.

She quietly creeps over to the bed. Maleficent doesn't wake, so Regina proceeds, and very, _very_ quietly weasels her way into the blonde sorceress' bed. Now she's exactly where she wants to be. Now she can sleep. She wiggles slightly, grabs a handful of the covers, pulls them over her body and then closes her eyes. Feeling nothing but peaceful for once.

Maleficent hums something, and Regina smiles and wonders what the dragon is dreaming about.

Suddenly, Maleficent's arms wraps around her, and slender fingers skates over Regina's bare arms. "Of all the lovely creatures that could have snuck into my bed…" she hums softly and gives Regina a little squeeze.

Regina stiffens for a moment. She had hoped not to wake Maleficent. "I hope you're not mad at me for…"

Maleficent gently grasps her chin, turns her face and then claims her lips in a soft kiss. " _No_ , darling. How could I be mad over this most welcome surprise?"

"I woke you..."

"I was already awake," Maleficent confesses and chuckles. The warmth from her lips makes goosebumps appear on Regina's skin.

"You- you were?"

"Mmm, awake and ready to call you back in case you decided to leave again," Maleficent says.

Regina giggles softly, but her laughter soon turns into little, hiccup-y sounds when Maleficent skates her fingers over her breast.

"Maleficent…" Regina mumbles and pushes those eager fingers away. "You're tired. You should sleep."

"And waste the time I have with you? No, darling," Maleficent says. "And you desire me as much as I desire you, don't you?"

"I do, but..."

"No buts," Maleficent says gently and shifts in the bed so she's suddenly straddling Regina's lap.

Regina gasps a little at that.

"Raise your arms for me, my sweet," Maleficent whispers, and Regina instantly obeys and raises her arms.

Maleficent swiftly pulls the nightgown off her. Regina can hear it land somewhere, but she isn't certain where exactly, and what does it even matter?

"What happened here?" Maleficent asks quietly and brushes her finger over a spot on Regina's back that makes the queen hiss.

"Is there a bruise?" Regina asks and squirms a little under Maleficent's touch.

"Yes."

"I fell off a horse," Regina admits a little embarrassed. "A beautiful creature, but a bit wild."

"Sounds like someone else I know," Maleficent smirks, and then, a bit more serious: "Are you hurt, my sweet?"

"No, it's just a bruise."

"So you didn't hit your head?"

Regina giggles. Maleficent is worried about her. Regina likes that. "No, Mal. I'm fine."

"Hmm," Maleficent says and chuckles softly, presses a light kiss to the nape of Regina's neck. "I like that pet name, little queen,"

"Which… pet name?" Regina asks and bites back a moan.

"Mal."

"Oh." Regina frowns. "I didn't even realize-"

"No, keep calling me that," Maleficent says and trails soft kisses along Regina's spine. "I like it."

"Alright then, _Mal_ ," Regina laughs.

Maleficent chuckles softly and nips gently at Regina's pulse point.

This time, Regina moans. She can't help it. Maleficent knows exactly where to kiss her.

"Mmm, I like that sound," Maleficent breathes into her ear. "Turn around so I can make you moan again."

Regina turns around so she's lying flatly on her back instead. She's already wet and ready for Maleficent. And Maleficent knows this. She smirks slightly at Regina as she takes a hard nipple between her fingers and rolls it slightly.

" _Mmm_!"

"Just like that?" Maleficent asks silkily.

" _Y-yes_..."

"I think you'll find this to be much, much better, darling girl," Maleficent says, and then she dips down and takes Regina's nipple between her teeth.

Regina's back arches and her hips bucks slightly. Yes, this definitely better. Much better.

"H-harder," she breathes and grabs a fistful of Maleficent's blonde hair.

Maleficent looks up at her for a moment, but then she answers with hollowing her cheeks and sucking harder at Regina nipple, all the while she massages Regina's other breast.

Oh, yes, that's _it_. This is exactly what Regina needs right now and she moans and her back arches off the bed. Her clit is already throbbing painfully, and there's a pool of wetness between her thighs.

Maleficent switches to Regina's other breast, and Regina writhers underneath her and revels in the attention. If only Maleficent would move her hand down. That would be perfect.

Or perhaps Regina should just do it herself. She removes one hand from Maleficent's golden hair and tries to somehow wiggle it in between her own body and Maleficent's.

Maleficent instantly notices it, and she releases Regina's nipple with a soft " _pop_ " and a " _no_ , darling, _I_ want to do that."

Regina just pants. She doesn't have the strength to come up with a response.

Maleficent removes the last piece of Regina's clothing and then parts the brunette's legs. One finger brushes through her wetness and Regina gaps and grasps Maleficent's hand, guides it towards her clit, on the verge of desperation for attention.

"No, darling," Maleficent says again and smirks. "You have no need for my hand down there."

Oh. _Oh_. Regina moans shakily when she understands what Maleficent means.

Maleficent grins and then positions herself between Regina's parted legs. Her tongue swipes through Regina's wetness, licks her from entrance to clit, and Regina moans again, this time louder.

" _Maleficent_!" Regina breathes, and Maleficent answers that by sucking her throbbing clit into her mouth and suck.

" _Yessss_!" Regina feels absolutely euphoric, she's already seeing stars, and she rocks her hips in tandem with Maleficent's ministrations.

Regina can feel how her heart almost levitates out of her chest, her cheeks and neck flushes, god, she's so close, so, so, _so_ close, she just needs…

Maleficent wiggles her hands between Regina and the mattress, she gives Regina's rear a-not-very-gentle squeeze and digs her nails into the soft flesh.

It hurts, and its exactly what Regina needs. Her jaw goes slack, and her mouth falls open in a completely silent, but extremely powerful orgasm. The warmth explodes in her abdomen so violently that her toes curls and tears leak from her eyes. It's embarrassing, really. A full-grown woman, a _queen_ , crying solely because something feels good.

" _Mal.._ " she breathes and her thighs quakes. But she spoke too soon. She's still coming, and her head is spinning.

"More?" Maleficent asks plainly, and a bit hoarsely.

Regina is torn. "But don't you need…"

"I can wait, little one. But I don't think you're quite done yet."

And she isn't. The moment, Maleficent's oh-so-talented fingers slides into her, Regina is reduced to a moaning, sobbing mess, who is, if not literally then figuratively on her knees for the dragon.

The following orgasm is equally as powerful as the first one, and Regina has no control over what she's saying when she shouts profanity and " _Harder, Maleficent_!" into the roof.

In her head, they're not done yet, Regina could have kept going all night and still craved more, but her _body_ has a very different opinion. Every last muscle in her body has been reduced to jelly, and she's on the verge of falling asleep. There is no way she will be able to return home tonight.

"Stay, then," Maleficent says briskly and licks her lips.

"You sure you don't mind?" Regina yawns.

"No, sweet girl." Maleficent says, and then she sniggers.

"What?" Regina asks and raises an eyebrow.

"Where on _earth_ have you learned such foul language, my sweet?"

Regina shrugs. "Perhaps I've learned it from _you_."

"Cheeky," Maleficent comments and laughs again. "Careful, darling. I could almost feel tempted to take you across my knee."

Regina giggles softly. And then she flushes when she understands what Maleficent means.

"Perhaps you would even like it," Maleficent teases and places another feather light kiss on Regina's shoulder.

"No, I wouldn't," Regina denies. "And that would be completely inappropriate. I'm a grown woman. I don't need to be…"

Maleficent laughs at her. "And what makes you think that full grown women don't enjoy being spanked, darling?"

" _I_ wouldn't," Regina says firmly.

Maleficent laughs again. "Go to sleep, little queen. You're exhausted."

And the last thing Regina sees that night is Maleficent, grinning at her.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	16. Playing With Fire

_**Forbidden**_

 **Playing with fire:**

They're all waiting for her. Every last nobleman in this kingdom. The king's knights, and the king himself of course.

Regina has never quite understood why it's so important that she attends every single council meeting. The king doesn't let her speak anyway, so what's the point? Well, she supposes it looks good in the noblemen's eyes if she's present. The king's doll-like, dutiful wife supporting her husband.

Regina snorts against her will. What a comedy. What a farce.

Regina tightens her corset until it digs into her ribs and sides. It hurts, but it accentuates her curves in the most delightful way. One of her little private games is to secretly count how many of the oh-so-important noblemen stares at her cleavage when the king looks away.

Those are the ones she'll kill after Snow White has paid for her sins. Those are the ones she'll add to her increasingly growing metaphorical list. First the king. Then Snow White. And then whoever dares contradict her.

Regina quickly steps into the various, thick layers of underskirts, and smiles coldly at the chambermaid who holds up the gown she chose for this particular occasion. A grey silk dress with a plunging neckline and beaded with various, shimmering diamonds. The chambermaid helps her into the dress and doesn't protest when Regina sneers at her to bind the laces tighter. She just obeys. Like she's supposed to.

Regina avoids all eye contact with the servant as she chooses a pair of dangling, diamond earrings for the occasion. The chambermaid- Cecília was it? – murmurs: "Beautiful, Your Majesty," as she carefully places a heavy tiara upon Regina's head.

"Thank you," Regina says toneless and gazes in the mirror. For a moment she feels tempted to scoff. All of this, the dress, the jewels, makes her look far older than she is. She doesn't look one bit like the "child bride" like this.

The child bride. The teenage queen.

Regina quickly turns away from the mirror. "Thank you, Cecília. You may go." She dismisses, and the chambermaid curtsies not once, but _three_ times before she leaves Regina's chambers.

Regina scoffs quietly. Cecília is probably what, five years older than her, and she has no choice but to act as if Regina were far older than her. It's laughable, really. And completely false, of course. Cecília doesn't respect her one bit. She just does what she's paid to do.

 _Who_ does respect Regina in this castle? Certainly not the king. Perhaps Snow White, when she has no other choice.

One day… One day she will do so much more than just respect her. One day that little brat will shiver when she hears Regina's name.

They all will.

"Your Majesty, the king is waiting for you!"

"A moment!" Regina snaps at whatever officious maid outside her door.

It would appear that she has no other choice but to join her obtuse husband. She could have spent these hours studying magic. Instead she's forced to sit tight, listen patiently and speak only when spoken to.

Regina sighs deeply. Her skirts swishes behind her as she walks out of her chambers. She trots slowly down the hallway. She knows the king is waiting for her, but she's in absolutely no hurry to enter the great hall and sit down next to the king to play his obedient little wife.

 _Why_ is she even requested to be there, she asks herself for the millionth times. Surely, none of the noble lord's cares whether she's there or not. Leopold certainly doesn't, that much is obvious, but keeping up appearances is oh so important.

Regina straightens her back and practices her best, fake smile as she walks down the hallway.

Time to play Leopold's soft-spoken wife again.

Her shoes echoes in the quiet hallway and Regina is blissfully unaware of any danger until someone suddenly sneaks up behind her, snakes an arm around her waist and puts a hand over her mouth.

Regina stumbles backwards and shakes her head violently in an attempt to wiggle out of the firm grip and call for help. She can't use magic right here, in the middle of the hallway. Someone could notice.

"Don't scream," a familiar, silky soft voice breathes in her ear, and horror is quickly transformed to relief. And then to shock. What the hell is Maleficent _thinking_? Is she completely out of her mind?

Yes, that must be the case. It certainly feels that way when Maleficent without much further ado half drags her into Johanna's empty bedchambers.

"Maleficent, what on earth are you doi…"

Maleficent doesn't give her the chance to speak. She pushes her up against the wall and kisses her fiercely.

Regina stiffens for a second, but then the shock transforms into arousal instead and she responds eagerly to the kiss.

But as amazing as this is, it's also a bit too risqué. Someone could literally walk in on them any second.

"Maleficent… this is- we can't..." Regina pants as Maleficent's lips moves to her neck and her tongue swirls over her pulse point.

Oh, _god_. This felt absolutely _amazing_. Regina is already beginning to feel slightly delirious and something stirs in her abdomen.

But this was hardly the time nor the place.

"S-someone could come in," Regina croaks and swallows thickly when Maleficent cups her breasts and squeezes them slightly.

"No," Maleficent purrs and nips at Regina's neck again. "No one is coming, darling. The entire council suddenly felt the urge to take a little… nap."

"Is that really so?" Regina breathes and her head lolls back when Maleficent squeezes her breasts again.

"Oh yes, darling," Maleficent murmurs. "You needn't worry." She kisses Regina again, and this time, Regina doesn't protest in the slightest. She simply closes her eyes and slips her tongue in between Maleficent's parted lips.

Maleficent's hands are _everywhere_ on her body. They slide over her arms, squeezes her shoulders, digs into the soft flesh on her hips, palms her breasts again, and- Regina squeaks slightly into the kiss- slides over her ass and gives it a firm squeeze.

Regina has to break the kiss and throw her head back instead. She uses her palms to steady herself against the wall. Maleficent is being awfully bold right now, both in her touches and her timing, but Regina thoroughly enjoys it. Enjoys sneaking off to meet with her female lover. Under Leopold's roof. Right under his nose. Literally.

Maleficent nips at her throat and squeezes her ass again and Regina hisses and tips her head back for better access.

"Mmmpf!" she breathes when one of Maleficent's hands slides down and starts rubbing her through the heavy fabric of her many layers of skirts.

Regina ruts her hips against Maleficent's hand, but she doesn't get the wished stimuli out of it. She's wearing too many layers, and nap or no nap, this is still ill timing. They definitely don't have time for _this_.

"For gods sake, lift those skirts for me," Maleficent huffs into her neck and gives her a not-too-gentle bite there.

"But…"

"No _buts_ , my sweet," Maleficent warns and squeezes her breast again. "Either you lift those skirts for me, or I'll simply rip your dress to shreds right now. Take your pick."

Regina gulps and swallows something, but she doesn't move. Her mind is spinning, her breath comes out in little hisses and she's already slick and warm between her thighs.

"So, what's it gonna be, darling?" Maleficent asks silkily and moves her hands up to the bodice on Regina's dress. She uses both hands and grabs on to fistful of the fabric, tugging gently and demonstrates exactly how she's going to rip the dress.

Regina pushes her away and her hands trembles slightly as she carefully gathers her skirts and lifts them.

Maleficent smirks at her and pecks her lips softly. "My _Queen_ ," she purrs and pronounces the words very, very slowly as she without further ado drops to her knees.

Regina sucks in a breath when she feels Maleficent's hands on her legs and her mouth roaming on her thighs. This is almost too much. Maleficent is very literally kneeling for her, something Regina had _never_ imagined she would do, and the sight is enough to make her moan and gasp and jerk her hips slightly.

Maleficent pushes her legs apart and drags the panties down her legs. Regina moans again and tightens her grip on the layers of skirts. She can't see what's going on between her legs, but she isn't in doubt of what's happening when Maleficent suddenly licks her from entrance to clit and the blonde's nails digs into the back of her thighs.

" _God_! _YES_!" she cries, and she wouldn't be surprised if the wetness is dripping down her legs now.

Maleficent gives her ass another squeeze, and Regina's mouth falls open, lost for words as the blonde's tongue slides inside her and starts moving swiftly, quickly, hitting her sweet spot over and over.

Regina cries out again. She might not be able to get the entire council to kneel and worship her, but Maleficent is kneeling, and she's doing it quite voluntarily.

Maybe that's what brings her over the edge so swiftly, and Regina's cries turns high-pitched as the orgasm hits her like a sucker punch right in the gut. It doesn't make it any better (or worse in this case) that Mal suddenly gives her backside a half-hard swat.

One of Maleficent's hands travels to Regina's front and she starts petting her clit, but Regina crosses her legs. She can't take anymore right now.

Maleficent sniggers as she pulls Regina's panties up where they belong again. Then the blonde sorceress rises to her full height and smirks at Regina.

" _Oh_." Regina whispers shakily as her knees suddenly caves in. She slides down the wall until she's sitting on the floor with her skirts still hiked up slightly.

Maleficent sniggers again, this time louder, and she gracefully sits down next to Regina.

"You have to be in the right state of mind to withstand an hour long council meeting," Mal says silkily.

Regina giggles softly and exhales a shuddering breath.

"Did I put you in the right state of mind, little queen?"

"You _hit_ me," Regina says when a rather foggy memory of Maleficent's hand swatting her appears in her mind.

"No, darling. I _spanked_ you," Maleficent corrects with a gleam in her blue eyes. "And I think you _liked_ it."

Regina blushes. Mal is right. For what ever sick reason, she _did_ like that little smack. How terribly embarrassing.

Maleficent laughs and kisses Regina's blushing cheek. "Now, now, no need to be embarrassed, little one."

"Why today?" Regina asks to change the subject.

"I missed you," Maleficent says plainly and shrugs. "And I could practically smell your frustration all the way over in my castle."

"I don't think you could," Regina protests.

"But you _were_ frustrated, darling," Maleficent waves her off. "You came within seconds."

Regina giggles again. That's true. She did do that.

Maleficent takes her hand and plays lightly with her fingers.

"I never asked you to kneel for me," Regina says, and her giggles are replaced with a soft frown.

"And yet I suspect that's what made you lit up like a torch."

Regina chews a little on her bottom lip and considers Mal's statement. She supposes the dragon is right about that. But still…

"Next time…" she says hesitantly and considers her words.

"Yes?" Maleficent turns to look at her.

"Next time _I'll_ kneel for you," Regina says. She can do that. She suspects she will enjoy it. Hearing Mal scream and unravel above her.

" _Will_ you now?" Maleficent says and squeezes her hand. "The little queen? On her knees? For _me_?"

Regina rolls her eyes at Mal's tone. She makes it sound so… amusing.

"Don't roll your eyes, little one," Maleficent warns.

Regina rolls her eyes again.

"Don't force me to take you across my knee."

Regina laughs throatily. Perhaps that wouldn't be so bad.

"My, my. I think you're a bad girl, Regina," Maleficent accuses softly.

 _Bad girl_. That makes something stir inside Regina again, and she pulls her bottom lip in between her teeth. _Bad girl_. The way Mal says it, makes heat pool between her legs again.

Maleficent all but grips her chin and kisses her roughly, her nails dig into the soft flesh on Regina's chin. "Come back to my castle with me, darling."

But Regina shakes her head. "I can't do that right now. The castle has already been asleep for too long."

"Tonight then," Maleficent insists. "You _must_ come back tonight, little one."

Regina hesitates. Tonight, she's having another lesson with Rumplestiltskin, but she supposes that imp can wait another day for once.

"Say yes," Maleficent coaxes and kisses her again.

"Y-yes," Regina breathes between kisses. "I'll come to your castle tonight."

" _Excellent_." Maleficent says and squeezes her hand.

"But now I have to go," Regina says firmly and uses the wall for support as she stands up.

Maleficent stands too and waves her hand.

Regina feels how Mal's magic washes over her, and she frowns at the dragon when she asks: "What was that?"

"I merely made sure you look as perfect as you did when I dragged you in here, darling."

"Oh."

"Mmm, I think even the stupid old king is able to see when someone has just been thoroughly fucked against a wall."

" _Maleficent_!" Regina half-shrieks. "And you complain over my language!"

Maleficent just chuckles and kisses Regina's cheek. "Tonight."

"Tonight," Regina promises, and just like that, Maleficent is gone, and Regina attends the council meeting. Her face is a smooth mask, a perfect poker face, but she can't help but smile a little every time she looks at her husband. If only he knew what was happening in his castle…

 _ **To Be Continued….**_


	17. Quick Student

_**Forbidden:**_

 _ **Quick Student:**_

That very same night, Regina paces up and down the floor in her bedchambers. She has been pacing for the past hour. She's so impatient, she could _die_. She retired to her bedchambers early, using terrible stomach cramps as an excuse, and now she's going half-mad waiting. The king has allowed the little brat to stay up late, and Regina can hear her laughter soar through the castle. She has already been knocking on Regina's bedroom door three times, in hopes of coaxing her stepmother out of her quarters.

But said stepmother had coldly informed Snow that she wasn't feeling well. Then Snow had repeatedly offered to fetch a doctor, and Regina had lost patience and informed the stupid little girl that "a doctor couldn't do anything to relieve these kind of abdominal pains".

Snow had grown awfully quiet, and then muttered a tiny, embarrassed "oh". Then Johanna had interfered and asked the princess to "let her stepmother rest".

Regina had listened as Snow retreated, asking Johanna several questions about "the monthly things that happens to a woman".

Regina had almost felt tempted to laugh.

And so, Regina waits. Walks up and down the floor. Listens. And then, finally- she hears Johanna escort the young princess to her bedchambers.

"Goodnight, princess Snow."

"Goodnight, Johanna." Regina hears Snow sigh. "I wish stepmother would come and read me a story."

"Your stepmother isn't feeling good tonight, princess. But I'm sure she'll feel better tomorrow."

"Yes, I hope so." Snow pauses, and Regina hears her through the door. "Johanna? Do you ever think that stepmother is sick often?"

"The queen isn't sick tonight, princess. She's simply in pain. Surely, you know what happens when young girls becomes women?"

"I do, but…"

"Now off to bed, Your Highness. Your father wants to go riding with you tomorrow, you need to be well rested."

"Goodnight, Johanna."

"Goodnight, young princess."

Regina hears the door to Snow's bedchambers close, and a second later, Johanna knocks on her door. "Your Majesty?"

Regina swallows her irritation and does her best to sound weak and unwell. "Yes?"

"Do you need anything? Something to drink? Food? I can ask the cook to…"

"No, thank you. I just need to rest."

"As your wish, Your Majesty."

The nursemaid retreats, and after a while, Regina hears her retire to her own bedchambers.

About a half an hour later, Regina hears the king walk down the hall. The door to his private quarters opens and closes. There's a bit of rustling and bustling, and after another ten minutes, the castle goes absolutely quiet.

Regina waits another half hour, just to be certain, and then she opens the door and peeks outside. The hallway is empty, and the castle is dark. Everyone is asleep.

Regina grins to herself and then she steps out of her bedchamber and tiptoes down the hall. Her shoes don't make much noise, and she glides through the castle like a ghost in the night.

She meets no one her little, nightly "walk" and slips unseen out of the castle.

Regina waits until she's shielded behind the trees. Then she waves her hand and transports.

This time, she appears very close to Maleficent's castle. Regina grins. She's definitely getting better at transporting. Her hard work is paying off.

Regina don't bother to knock on the door, she simply pushes it open and steps into the Forbidden Fortress.

Maleficent is nowhere to be seen. Perhaps she's lurking somewhere in the castle, or maybe she's faking sleep like the last time.

But there's no Maleficent in the bedroom, and Regina frowns and sticks out her bottom lip a little. They _did_ agree to meet tonight, did they not? Maybe Maleficent has had a change of heart, or maybe she's flying around over the forest somewhere.

However, Regina's dissatisfaction quickly vanishes when she hears sounds coming from Maleficent's bathroom. She grins a little to herself as she knocks on the door.

"Is it you, little queen?"

"Yes. May I come in?"

"You may."

Regina pushes the door open and steps inside. Her smirk quickly disappears, and her throat goes rather dry when she sees Maleficent. The blonde sorceress is wearing absolutely nothing, and she grins at Regina from her position in the empty bathtub with a glass of wine in her hand.

"Why is there no water in your tub?" Regina asks and tries her utmost to focus at the blonde's face.

"I was waiting for _you_ , little queen. I wouldn't risk the water getting cold before you arrived."

"Oh."

"Cheeky you, my eyes are up _here_ ," Maleficent drawls and Regina blushes and looks down at the floor instead.

But Maleficent simply laughs warmly and says: "since you're so eager, why don't you join me then? I've been waiting for you." She fills the tub with a wave of her hand.

"Alright." Regina first steps out of her shoes and bites her lip as she starts fumbling with the buttons in her dress. She should have changed into her night gown before she left. And the way Maleficent _stares_ at her, makes the buttons slip between her fingers.

Regina turns around and resumes her work with the buttons.

Maleficent laughs again, and Regina is certain that the blonde is laughing _at_ her.

"You _do_ know that I've already seen you naked before, right?" Maleficent drawls from the tub and takes another sip of her wine.

"Yes. But I've never _undressed_ in front of you before," Regina defends as the dress finally slips from her shoulders. She pushes it down and it pools by her feet. Regina steps out of it, frees herself from the underskirts and then starts working on the strings in her corset. That's slightly more difficult. The knots are tight, and Regina's pulling doesn't seem to help one bit.

Suddenly, the corset becomes loose around her, and Regina squeals in surprise when it lands on the floor. She glances over her shoulder and sees that Maleficent has raised one of her hands.

"The water is getting cold," Mal says plainly as the only explanation for her actions.

"Right."

"You are binding yourself too tightly," Maleficent comments. "I can see the markings on your back."

Regina shrugs.

"You'll end up hurting yourself."

"I don't care," Regina says and shrugs again.

" _I_ care." Maleficent says plainly. "Now remove that last piece of clothing and join me."

Regina gulps and pushes the panties down her legs. Then she steps out of them and turns around.

Maleficent's eyes lights up and she outstretches a wet hand toward Regina. "Come here."

Regina obeys. Maleficent takes her hand and helps her into the bath. Then she wraps an arm around Regina's waist. "Hello."

"Hello." Regina chuckles.

"How was the council meeting?"

"Long and uninteresting. I couldn't concentrate."

"And why is that, little queen?"

"I was… thinking."

"About _me_?" Maleficent teases and poofs the wineglass away. "About what I did to you? How I _touched_ you?"

"Yes. That." Regina says strained. Maleficent's words sends shivers down her spine, and she's already feeling that tickling low in her abdomen.

"Kiss me." Maleficent says plainly.

The water splashes out on the floor as Regina swiftly turns around in the bathtub and kisses Maleficent ferociously. She has been wanting to do that for quite a while now, and she's not about to hold back. Her hands travel from Mal's hair to her front and she squeezes her breasts eagerly.

Maleficent moans into the kiss, and Regina simply can't wait. She kisses Mal's neck, sucks at her pulse point and then plants a series of kisses along her perfect jawline.

Maleficent moans again and clutches at Regina's back. It doesn't even rattle Regina when she feels the blonde's short fingernails dig into her back. It doesn't hurt. It feels _good_. And it only encourages her further. She brings one hand down and finds Mal's clit with the tip of her finger.

" _Regina_!" Maleficent hisses, and the name sounds blurred in Regina's ear. Blurred and drawn out. _Re-gi-naaaa_. No one has ever said her name like that before, and Regina grins shamelessly at the blonde and pecks her lips once. Then she shifts slightly and uses her knee to rub against Maleficent's core. It doesn't take more than a few, solid rubs before Maleficent suddenly throws her head back and cries out in pleasure.

Regina grins again and gives Mal a teasing nudge with her knee. Then she leans back against the opposite end of the bathtub to watch Maleficent. The blonde sorceress still looks quite rattled, and her neck is deliciously flushed.

Regina licks her lips and giggles a little. She did that to her.

"My, my," Maleficent says hoarsely. " _Someone_ was feeling rather bold."

"I couldn't wait," Regina shrugs and echoes Maleficent's words: "And I think you _liked_ it."

"Using my own words against me? You cheeky little thing."

Regina cackles gleefully.

Maleficent raises a light eyebrow. "Taking me by surprise, using my own words against me, _and_ laughing at me. You are a very, very _bad_ girl, Regina."

"Punish me then," Regina challenges.

Maleficent grabs her upper arm and pulls her roughly against her. "I might just do that, you bad, _bad_ girl," she growls and nips at Regina's bottom lip.

Regina moans into the kiss and throws her arms around Mal's neck.

"Do you like _pain_ , Regina?" Maleficent asks silkily and squeezes her rear.

"Y-yes," Regina breathes, and her arms goes slack around Mal's neck.

"Do you fantasize about it?" Maleficent hisses in her ear and gives her rear another hard squeeze, her fingernails digging into the soft flesh.

" _Yes_ ," Regina moans.

"Be careful what you wish for, little one. The _things_ I could do to you." Maleficent murmurs and her fingernails rakes up and down Regina's naked back.

That doesn't lessen Regina's desire in the slightest. "And if I _want_ you to do those things?" she asks boldly and presses herself flush against Maleficent.

"The maiden queen is a bad little thing," Maleficent comments, and more water sloshes onto the floor as she grabs Regina's wet braid and forces her head back.

"I'm n-not a maid anymore" Regina gasps and tries to stay focused. " _You_ made sure of that."

"Yes, I did, didn't I?" Maleficent purrs. "And if only you _knew_ how much I enjoyed taking you for the first time."

"Take me again. Please." Regina begs.

"No. Not yet, little queen. Not until you've been _on your knees for me_ ," Maleficent chuckles, and Regina is reminded of the promise she made earlier.

"Then let's get out of the water," Regina says and untangles herself from Maleficent.

"So eager to please. I like that," Maleficent husks as they both stand from the bath.

And eager is exactly what Regina is. She grabs Maleficent's wrist and tugs at the older woman.

Maleficent sniggers as she lets Regina drag her into the bedchambers. Once the door is slammed behind them, Regina turns around and looks at Maleficent.

Mal doesn't waste time on talking. She grabs Regina roughly and kisses her again, her fingernails rake up and down Regina's back again and Regina brings one hand down to please Maleficent once more.

"No," Maleficent says firmly. "Not your fingers. Or your _knee_ for that matter, little queen. No cheating."

Regina pouts. "Fine."

" _On your knees_ ," Maleficent purrs. "Show me what a _bad_ girl you are."

And Regina does the unthinkable. The unimaginable. She _kneels_ for the dragon and positions herself between her spread legs. Then she looks up at Maleficent for instructions. She has no idea how to do this, and she wants to do well.

"Follow your instincts, darling," Maleficent pants, clearly the sight of Regina between her legs is enough to make her breathless. "Be my bad girl."

Regina swallows thickly and takes a deep breath. Then she presses her palms against the back of Mal's thighs for support. She sucks in another breath and gives Mal an experimenting lick through her sodden folds.

Maleficent instantly yelps, and Regina stiffens for a moment when she feels Mal's hands press against the top of her head. But she quickly figures out that that hand means she's doing well, so she gives Mal another lick, and the taste of her arousal prickles on her tongue.

" _Yes_ , Regina! Like that."

Regina angles her tongue slightly and brushes the tip over Mal's clit. Maleficent cries out and tightens her grip on Regina's braid.

"Oh _yes,_ darling! Ohh, that is _so_ good. Keep going!"

Regina would smile if she could, but instead she wraps her lips around Mal's clit and sucks and sucks and…

" _Yesss_! That's _it_ , you bad little thing!"

Regina notes the shrill in Mal's voice. She's close. Regina is certain she is, and the brunette quickly sucks the swollen little nub into her mouth again. Maleficent's thighs trembles on either side of her. Regina considers cheating a bit and use her fingers to "help" but she doesn't need to. Maleficent suddenly wobbles back against the door, her thighs quakes again, and the next moment, Regina hears her own name being screamed out in a mixture of nonsense and profanity.

Regina releases Mal's clit and sees the arousal trickle down the blonde's leg. In a flash of inspiration, she raises slightly on her knees and licks Maleficent's thighs clean. This is a taste she could get addicted to. Maleficent tastes positively _exquisite_ , and Regina licks eagerly until Mal's thighs no longer glistens.

"You're a bad girl."

Regina looks up at the blonde sorceress. She tilts her head and licks her lips. Maleficent clicks her tongue. "I really can't decide whether I should take you across my knee or fuck you senseless."

"Why not do both?" Regina suggests and gives Mal's inner thigh another lick.

Maleficent moans and pushes her head away. "Perhaps a good over the knee spanking is exactly what you need."

Regina giggles and raises to her full height. There's a slight ache in her knees, but she thoroughly ignores that. She looks at Maleficent and cups one full breast.

"I've made my choice," Maleficent pants and attempts to push Regina's hand away. "I want to fuck you senseless, darling." With that she grabs Regina's wrist and pushes her back until the brunette ends up on the large, four poster bed.

Regina giggles breathlessly, and Maleficent shoots her a look. "You won't be laughing when I'm done with you, little queen. In fact, I doubt you'll be able to _walk_."

Regina whimpers at that. "Take me. Please."

Maleficent smirks and crawls over her body, kissing her deeply and sliding a hand in between in her legs. "Look how _wet_ you are, darling. Is that all for me?"

"Y-yes."

Maleficent smirks again and brushes one finger through Regina's wetness. Then she brings the now glistening finger up to Regina's lips. "Suck."

Regina instantly swirls her tongue over the finger in front of her and sucks eagerly.

" _Such_ a bad girl."

Regina whimpers again. Maleficent removes the finger from her mouth. "Spread those lovely legs for me, darling."

Regina does that, and expects Maleficent to settle between them, but she doesn't. Instead she waves her hand and make a silk scarf appear.

Regina raises an eyebrow, and Maleficent smirks as she without any further ado ties the scarf over Regina's eyes.

"Oh no!" Regina complains when the blindfold covers her eyes. This is definitely not fair.

"Shush. You'll like it." Maleficent chuckles.

"But I want to _see_ you," Regina protests.

"And you will, little queen. Later." Maleficent promises. "But right now, you don't need to see _anything_."

"Why not?" Regina whines.

"As I've already told you once…" Maleficent suddenly flips her over and gives her bottom a smack. "It heightens your senses. And there's nothing quite like the element of surprise." She smacks Regina again.

Regina yelps and wiggles her hips.

"Did that hurt?" Mal purrs into her ear.

"Yes," Regina says truthfully.

"Did you _like_ it?" Maleficent's voice practically makes her squirm.

"Yes," Regina says again. She _did_ like that.

Maleficent laughs and bites into her shoulder. "Would you like me to do it again, little queen?"

"Yes." Regina says for the third time.

"Yes, _what_?" Maleficent growls and squeezes her hips.

"Uh… yes, _please_?" Regina tries.

"Exactly. Good girl." Maleficent praises.

Regina moans deeply when she's rewarded with another smack to her bottom. It hurts, yes, but it also sends waves of pleasure straight to her core.

Maleficent laughs somewhere behind her. "I've made _quite_ the discovery with you, little queen."

"Mm, yes," Regina breathes, already awaiting the next blow.

And Maleficent doesn't disappoint. She smacks Regina not once, but three times, and Regina squeals in delight and wiggles her hips again. God, this feels absolutely _wonderful_. Her abdomen tingles, and Regina wonders if she's able to come from just this.

"More?" Maleficent asks, and she sounds equally amused and breathless.

"Yes." Regina says immediately. For some reason, she doesn't feel one bit embarrassed about this. She probably should, but she doesn't. How could she when each blow sends shock waves of pleasure through her body?

Maleficent strikes her again, and Regina actually have to squeeze her legs together.

 _Smack._ Regina moans and clutches the sheet.

Another blow lands on her bottom. Her core throbs and sweat trickles down her back, completely ruining the effect of the bath.

 _Smack_. Oh, god, she's close, she's gonna, she's definitely gonna... her stomach muscles clenches and she bites down on her bottom lip as the pleasure builds up inside her.

But just like that, Maleficent stops what she's doing and turns her over instead.

"What are you doing?" Regina complains and claws at the blindfold. "I was close!"

"Oh, I know you were, you bad little thing," Maleficent chuckles. "Which I why I simply couldn't help myself." Without much warning she plunges two fingers inside Regina, and Regina lets herself go completely and screams into the ceiling.

"Yes, that's right, little one," Maleficent purrs. "Scream for me. Show me how _much_ you like this!" she hooks her fingers and thrusts right against Regina's g-spot.

Whether it's from their heated bath, being on her knees for Maleficent, or the previous spanking, is a little unclear to Regina. All she knows is that she suddenly tumbles over the edge and shouts nonsense into the ceiling.

Her brain is completely clouded and she's still panting when Maleficent finally removes the blindfold. Regina doesn't even open her eyes. She can't think. She can feel her own arousal drip down her thighs and her legs trembles.

Maleficent laughs and kisses her lips. "You are such a bad girl, darling. You almost came from just being spanked, didn't you?"

"Yes." Regina mumbles.

Maleficent laughs again. "You enjoyed it."

"Yes."

"And how are you feeling now, little one?"

"I'm tired," Regina says truthfully. "I can't move."

"Maleficent cackles. "Then don't bother trying. Spend the night here."

"But I have to get home…"

"Not tonight, darling." Maleficent insists. "Just sleep."

And so Regina does.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	18. The Lion and The Dragon

_**Forbidden**_

 **The Lion and Dragon:**

Regina is still tired when she wakes up the following morning. Tired and sore, but nevertheless _very_ satisfied.

What was that expression Mal used? Ah yes, "thoroughly fucked". That's what she is.

Regina winces when she rolls onto her back. Her bottom and the back of her thighs feels rather sore. She grins a little. Last night was wonderful.

But where's Maleficent? The dragon sorceress is nowhere to be found in the bedchambers, and Regina is just about to call out for her when she hears something that makes her sit upright in the bed and wrap the sheets tightly around her.

There's someone in the Forbidden Fortress, and Regina doesn't doubt who it is when she hears that dreaded, damned high-pitched giggle.

Rumplestiltskin is right here in the Forbidden Fortress, and Regina swallows her nausea. She has to leave. And she has to leave right now. If he finds her here…

Regina immediately pulls her legs out of the tangled sheets and scrapples around to find her dress, but oh right, her dress isn't here. It's still lying abandoned in the bathroom. She waves her hand and makes both dress, corset and panties appear on the bedroom floor. She quickly slips her panties back on and binds the corset tightly around her upper body. She listens to Rumplestiltskin's high pitched taunting, and Maleficent low and calm reply as she sloppily steps back into the layers of underskirts. Then she pulls the dress over her head. Why on earth is that imp _here_? Then she knows. He's here because he's the one behind all of this. He's the one who asked Maleficent do to this in the first place. Of course, he is. Regina should have seen that. He and Maleficent is actually working together, and what she and Maleficent have is orchestrated by Rumplestiltskin.

Regina finally finishes buttoning her dress and then she waits for a moment. Now what? Maybe she should just transport right back home.

But as she lifts her hand to make herself disappear in a cloud of smoke, the door to Maleficent's bedchambers opens, and Maleficent steps inside, wearing her robe and with tousled hair.

"You are dressed," she states calmly and disappointment seeps through the words.

Regina ignores that. "What was _he_ doing here?"

Maleficent shrugs. "I think he was looking for you. He said something about you missing a lesson last night."

"Did you ask him to come here?" Regina asks dully as she swiftly braids her hair.

"Me? No. Why on earth would I do that, darling?"

"Oh, I don't know," Regina sneers. "Perhaps you confide in him. Perhaps he's the one who encouraged you to try things on with me."

"And why would he do that?"

Regina shrugs. "To taunt me. To mock me."

Maleficent narrows her eyes. "Surely you don't believe that, darling." She takes a step closer to Regina and reaches out to touch her, but Regina holds her hand up. "Don't."

"What's the _matter_ with you?" Maleficent demands. "Why are you suddenly like this?"

Regina laughs humorlessly. "You can drop the act now, Maleficent. In fact, it would be far easier for both of us, if you just admitted that Rumplestiltskin put you up to this from the beginning."

"He _didn't_. You are acting like a child!" Maleficent sneers and lowers her hand.

"And maybe that's all I am. A child who can easily be bent and manipulated to do your bidding!" Regina bites back. "To do everyone's bidding! Yours, Rumplestiltskin's, Snow Whites!"

"You are acting irrationally," Mal says and crosses her arms. She's suddenly completely calm, and that only annoys Regina further.

"I'm leaving!" she declares and pushes past Maleficent. "And I'm not gonna come back again."

"Very well. If that's what you want." Maleficent says calmly, and Regina's façade cracks for a moment when she realizes that Maleficent isn't gonna try and stop her.

"And you shouldn't come to my castle either," she adds and spits the words out like venom.

"Fine. If that's what you want, little queen."

Regina doesn't even look back at the blonde sorceress. She just leaves the Forbidden Fortress. And she's not planning on coming back again. All of this was a stupid mistake.

For three weeks, Regina keeps entirely away from the Forbidden Fortress. She's done with Maleficent, and she's certainly done getting tempted by wine and sweet words.

And then the next blow hits, when she's completely vulnerable and raw. On a night where she's particularly frustrated with everything, she runs out on her balcony and pounds again the railing. The rusty old railing comes loose, and Regina plummets to the ground. No doubt she would have killed herself if it hadn't been for a fairy.

The fairy, whose name is Tinkerbell, shows her kindness, and once again Regina is lured by sweet words and kindness. And she allows herself to hope when Tinkerbell starts talking about pixie dust and soulmates and second chances. She claims there's someone out there, waiting for Regina. A soulmate.

Regina's heart flutters a little at that. A soulmate. Can that really be? Is there really someone out there for her?

Later on, she tells herself how utterly stupid it was, but she agrees to go with Tinkerbell to a nearby tavern and meet this _soulmate_.

The fairy points her to a man with a lion tattoo and tells her that this is the man Regina has been waiting for all along, and then she leaves Regina to "go and fall in love again"

And for a moment, Regina wants nothing more than that. To fall in love, to _be_ loved, but as she looks at the man, the man who's turned away from her, only the lion tattoo visible to her eyes, she realizes that it's not that simple. Of course, this man isn't the answer to her prayers. How could he be? And he certainly isn't the key to her happiness either. Only one thing is. Snow White's head on a spike.

Tinkerbell probably tricked her. Pointed her toward a random man for her own benefits.

Why should Tinkerbell be interested in helping Regina? No. There has to be something in it for the fairy. A selfish reason. There's always a selfish reason.

Regina turns away from the tavern and leaves the man with the lion tattoo behind.

Tinkerbell isn't at all pleased with her, and claims that pixie dust never lies, but Regina does what she's best at, and acts cold and uninterested. The key to her happiness is being victorious. The key to her happiness is laughing while Snow White burns before her eyes.

Tinkerbell tries to reason with her, to _understand_ her. That stupid fairy even claims that it's okay to be afraid. Regina immediately spits that she's not afraid, and after a heated argument, the fairy leaves.

Regina is grateful for a bit of peace, but Tinkerbell's words about that she seemingly has ruined the man with the lion tattoo's life too, sticks with her. And she wonders about it as she pours herself a well-deserved glass of wine. How could she possibly have ruined a stranger's life? And why should he love _her_? Because some stupid fairy dust told him to?

No. She'll never love again. There's only room for one man in her heart. And pixie dust and the promise of a _soulmate_ won't tear her away from her revenge. That's the only happy ending for her. Watching Snow White die before her eyes. Hold on to her neck as the girl takes her last breath.

Regina pours herself another glass of wine. She's alone at the castle again. The king and his daughter is out, greeting his loyal subjects. It's Snow White's birthday in a few days, and the loyal subjects have gathered in the little villages to wish their beloved princess a happy birthday.

It goes completely above their heads that Regina's twenty first birthday is also coming up in a few weeks.

It's Snow White's birthday.

Truly a day for celebration.

From early morning to late evening, the entire castle has been abuzz. Regina has been smiling sweetly, falsely as the girl has received her gifts with childish excitement. Including the noble, white steed. Snow White had been over the moon about the present, and the king had smiled proudly as she clumsily mounted the horse.

Regina had both hoped and feared that the little brat would get thrown off the damn horse. Hoped, because it would take the edge off the sniveling brats excitement, and feared it, because the king without a doubt would have the horse put down.

Come nightfall, the king had invited everyone to a grand ball at the castle to celebrate the princess' birthday.

There had been laughing and dancing.

There had been Snow White eating birthday cake and dancing with her devoted father.

There had been the king, lightly tapping his glass and making speech for his daughter, starting the speech with: "My dearest Snow, if only your dearly departed mother could see you now…"

Regina had instantly felt nauseous.

The king had continued with: "To look at the young woman you have become today..."

Regina had felt even worse. Snow White wasn't even close to be a young woman. She was still a child. Nothing more.

Then the king had grown sickeningly sentimental as he spoke of what Snow had meant to him and continued to mean to him. He had then spoken of Eva and thanked her for Snow.

Snow, the stupid little brat had added gasoline to the fire and suggested that they all rose and toasted to her beloved mother. The king had nodded, and everyone had smiled, because wasn't the young princess sweet and compassionated?

Everyone had toasted.

Except Regina.

She had quietly slipped out of the door and left the ball early.

So much for celebration.

Sometimes it was awfully tempting to open the castle gates and run into the night. But she knows that would be a mistake. That wouldn't bring her any closer to her revenge. And revenge is what she wants.

Instead of going to her bedchambers, she chooses to spend a bit of time at the library. Sometimes it calms her down to study magic in plain sight, right under their noses.

But of course, no one takes notice of her. They're all at the ball.

No one ever takes notice of her.

Wouldn't it have been far better to fall to her death from that balcony?

Maybe that would have given her the freedom she so desires.

No. She can't think like that. Her death isn't the answer. Snow White's is.

Regina bows her head over the books and soaks in the knowledge.

Once her mind is buzzing from memorizing the various spells, Regina takes the book under her arm and returns to her chambers for tonight. She hears Snow White's laughter float through the castle. They're all still busy celebrating. No one has even noticed Regina's absence.

Regina had every intention of going to bed, but there's a surprise waiting for her in her bedchambers.

Maleficent is lying nonchalantly on Regina's bed, looking through one of Regina's spell books.

Regina quickly shuts the door behind her, god forbid anyone sees Maleficent in her chambers, and then asks: "What are _you_ doing here?"

Maleficent shrugs and continues to study Regina's book.

"I told you to stay away!" Regina reminds the blonde and pours herself a well-deserved glass of wine.

"Which I did. For three weeks."

Regina doesn't even have the strength to shout at her. She's too tired. Tired of everything, really. Tired of celebrating, tired of seeing people toast to good queen Eva, tired of being lured by false promises of awaiting soulmates when she knows that it's all a lie.

"What's the matter with you?" Maleficent asks.

Now it's Regina who shrugs.

Maleficent looks at her, measures her from head to toe and then she asks: "Are you pregnant?"

Regina splutters and sets the wine down. "And how on earth should _that_ have come to be?"

Maleficent shrugs this time and continues to look at Regina.

Regina suddenly feels a wave of sympathy for the dragon. "Did you think that?"

"I… feared it," Maleficent admits. "I know you wouldn't want that."

Regina laughs dryly. "Well, I can assure you that my husband has never touched me."

Maleficent's shoulders uncurls and she draws in a breath.

"I thought I told you to stay away," Regina says again, but she can't quite find the correct, harsh tone.

"I'm afraid I couldn't keep my promise," Mal says.

Regina tries her best to stare her down. To make her leave just with her eyes. But of course, that doesn't work as intended. Maleficent rises from the bed and comes over to her. Regina backs away, but whatever anger she had for Maleficent slips away between her fingers.

"Your mentor didn't put me up to this." Maleficent states plainly, and Regina crosses her arms over her chest. She feigns skepticism, because she can't find the right words to tell Maleficent that she always thinks of her as a safe space. A place where Rumplestiltskin can't get into her head.

"Come back to me," Maleficent says softly and reaches out, cups Regina's cheek.

Regina stiffens. This isn't going as planned. Maleficent isn't supposed to do this. She's supposed to be angry and eager to pick another fight.

"I _assure_ you, darling. Despite what you think, Rumplestiltskin have _nothing_ to do with what's happening with us. I came to you because I _wanted_ to, not because anyone told me to, and certainly not Rumplestiltskin. That imp can't tell me what to do."

Why is it so easy to believe her? Why is it so easy for Regina to _want_ to believe her?

"Come back to me," Maleficent repeats gently, softly. She brushes her fingertips against Regina's cheek.

Regina huffs frustrated. The hell with it. She closes the gap between them and claims Maleficent's lips in a desperate kiss.

If the kiss surprises Maleficent, she's very good at pretending. Perhaps she can sense how much Regina needs this.

Regina throws her arms around the dragon witch's neck and deepens the kiss. She teethers slightly on her high heels, but Maleficent's grip on her lower back is iron-clad. There's no way she would let her fall.

Maleficent buries her fingers in Regina's hair, and Regina can feel how the crispy up-do is coming loose and falls in tendrils around her face.

Their kiss taste of reunion and unspoken apologies, Maleficent's tongue plunges into her mouth, and Regina immediately wants more than just kisses. After three weeks apart, after the "soulmate"-fiasco, she _needs_ this.

So she breaks the kiss and murmurs: "Take me to bed," into Maleficent's heated skin.

Maleficent grips her upper arms and lowers her eyes to Regina's. "Is that what you want, little queen?"

"Yes," Regina breathes.

Maleficent doesn't say anymore. Instead she lets her actions speak and pushes Regina backwards onto the bed.

Regina inhales shakily as Maleficent swiftly is on top of her, devours her mouth again. For once, the dragon's touches are a bit clumsy as she unbuttons Regina's dress, peels it off her and simply tears the corset with her bare hands. Maybe the dragon is as eager as Regina feels.

And Regina feels nothing but sweet, sweet relief as Maleficent spreads her legs and settles between them. A moment of peace at last.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	19. Twenty One

_**((Yeah, this chapter is loaded with smut. Don't like, don't read.))**_

 _ **Forbidden**_

 **Twenty-one:**

It's Regina's birthday.

She's twenty-one.

She should be feeling _proud_. Proud that she survived another year of this masquerade.

And she _is_. She hasn't snapped yet. She's still fighting.

She's one year closer to get her revenge.

That's what keeps her going today.

Her birthday is never mentioned at court. Regina doubts that the king knows when it is her birthday, he certainly never mentions it. Perhaps he finds it uncomfortable to be reminded of how young she really is.

Snow White never mentions her birthday either. The little brat is far too busy manipulating her surroundings.

The only one who actually acknowledges the date, is Daddy. He always knocks on her door early in the morning and greets her with a hug, a "happy birthday, my dear", and a little something he found for her. Sometimes it's jewelry, a little necklace or something like that, but this year it just so happens to be chocolate. He knows Regina and her sweet tooth. She never indulges in it in public, Mother had always scolded her for eating chocolate and "letting her waistline go", but Daddy never comments on it, and in return, Regina shares the chocolate with him.

He smiles at her, and they talk and tell each other stories, but Regina is sure, she doesn't fool him. He knows unhappy she is.

After having breakfast with the king and Snow White (who babbles on about her new horse), Regina excuses herself and says she wishes to go for a walk in the wood.

The king doesn't protest. He simply nods and turns his attention back to his precious daughter.

So, Regina heads out on her little walk. It's a beautiful day, the weather is mocking her. She has never connected her birthday to anything particularly nice before.

Mother said every year that she feared Regina would grow up to be a terrible, gangly girl.

When Regina turned sixteen, Mother started saying that she was afraid, Regina would grow up to be an old maid.

A week after her eighteen birthday, she married the king.

So no, she has never connected her birthday to anything nice.

Of course, there had been those stolen moments with Daniel. He had brought her flowers and kissed her cheek and wished her a happy birthday, and it had been wonderful.

But it had also been rushed. Stolen moments. Stolen kisses whenever they could. And then he had been taken from her. Ripped from her arms. Because a little girl couldn't keep her mouth shut.

Regina stops once she reaches the lake. She sits down and dips one foot into the water. Her mind immediately spins in dark directions, and for a moment, she allows herself to get lost in a wonderful daydream where in she slowly chokes the life out of Snow White while the girl desperately claws at her hands and try to free herself.

What a daydream.

Let it come true. Let Snow White die for her hand. Let king Leopold kneel before her.

Let her bathe in Snow White's blood.

Regina tightens her grip on the soft grass underneath her. The thought of that, the thought of seeing Snow White perish is enough to make her feel warm and almost a bit drunk.

It suddenly occurs to her, that she should have brought her spell book with her. Now would have been a perfect time to study. Here, at the lake, where she's completely undisturbed.

But this is her birthday… She's allowed to rest on her birthday, isn't she?

 _No, dearie, you have to study hard to get what you want. Evil never rests_.

 _ **Evil**_. _Evil_. No, she's not evil. She simply wants revenge over the ones who wronged her. That's not evil, is it?

No. That's simple _justice_.

And justice _will_ be served. Justice will come. Even for sweet little Snow White.

Regina opens her eyes and exhales softly. She even smiles a little. _One year closer to get what she wants._

She leans back and enjoys the sunlight. For once she's alone. For once, she's not surrounded by knights or maids. For once, Snow White isn't by her side, demanding her attention.

That's when a black raven lands next to her. The bird's sudden appearance doesn't startle Regina, but she _does_ wonder how it found her all the way out here. The raven " _R-r-r-r's_ " at her and sticks its leg out. And now Regina notices that there's a note attached to the bird's leg. She quickly frees the raven from its burden and unfolds the little scroll:

" _ **Darling,**_

 _ **You are hereby requested to come to my castle tonight, so I can formally wish you a happy birthday.**_

 _ **No excuses. You are coming, and that's final.**_

 _ **Don't keep me waiting for you."**_

Regina almost chuckles as she closes her fingers around the scroll.

"Tell your mistress that I'll be coming," she tells the raven, and she's certain that the bird understands her, and that it will pass the message along to Maleficent.

The raven flies off and leaves Regina grinning to herself. So Maleficent wants to see her tonight. How on earth did the sorceress know that it's Regina's birthday today?

Regina feels how her abdomen already tightens in anticipation. God, she wants this. She wants to spend her birthday with Maleficent. Preferably naked and with Maleficent's head between her thighs. Regina bites her lip. The thought of that sends a sizzling sensation straight to her core, and she's already feeling slightly damp.

She pulls her foot out of the water and stands up. Her walk is over. If she is to be away tonight, she'll have to keep up the façade today. And that sadly includes spending as much time as possible with Snow White.

Hopefully fate got something much better in store for her later.

So, later that evening, once the castle is asleep (by a spell or voluntarily?) Regina retires to her bedchambers and changes from the purple gown she's been donning that day and into a significantly different one. A red velvet thing with a rather plunging neckline. She has never worn it before, but there's a first time for everything, and she's not ashamed to admit that she looks exquisite in it. It hugs her curves in the most delightful way and makes her cleavage look, well… _eye catching_.

Regina smirks a little as she runs a comb through her hair. She decides to just let it hang loose in soft curls down her back. Any kind of up-do would be destroyed by the end of the night. That's how their "meetings" usually plays out, and Regina isn't expecting this night to be any different. Her abdomen tightens again.

Once she's dressed and done up, she grabs her cloak and ties it around her. Maleficent is in for a surprise tonight.

Regina grins wickedly as she leaves her bedchambers and saunters down the hallway.

The Forbidden Fortress is awfully dark and quiet when Regina arrives, and she slips through the many rooms in her search after the blonde sorceress.

She finds her in the bedchambers. Maleficent is sitting at her vanity, brushing her golden locks. Regina smirks again. There are lit candles, flickering flames in the fireplace, and the entire bedchamber smells absolutely delicious. Clearly, Maleficent has an agenda. A clear idea of what's gonna happen tonight.

Maleficent looks up and sees Regina's reflection in the mirror. She promptly puts the hairbrush down. "Darling."

"You send for me?" Regina drawls.

"Oh yes, that I did," Mal says and her voice is soft, almost like she's already caressing Regina.

"And did you want something in particular, dragon?" Regina inquires and unfastens her cape. She sees Maleficent's blue eyes darken and widen as she reveals the red velvet dress underneath the cloak.

"Well, well," Maleficent purrs. "Don't you look… _delicious_."

Regina grins. "I figured I should dress for the occasion, and I think I was right to do that. You are practically _drooling_ , my dear dragon."

"Getting a bit cheeky, are we?" Maleficent drawls and sashays over to her.

"Maybe," Regina chuckles as Maleficent arms loops around her waist, pulling her closer.

"Do you need to be _punished_ , little queen?" Maleficent asks and squeezes Regina's rear.

"Maybe I do," Regina cackles gleefully and leans in to scrape her teeth over Mal's neck. Maleficent looks rather good herself tonight, dressed in a long silk nightgown and a robe.

"Have you been wicked, Your Majesty?" Maleficent growls in her ear and grasps Regina's chin. "Your dress is certainly wicked enough as it is."

"Mm, I've been _bad_ ," Regina assures and claims Maleficent's lips in a not very tender kiss.

"Oh? How have you been bad, little queen? You must tell me."

So Regina giggles and tells Maleficent how she's been bad since the last time they saw each other. She doesn't leave anything out and mentions every last little "wrongdoing".

Maleficent's eyebrow raises. "My, my you _have_ been bad, haven't you?"

"Yes."

"And do you know what I do to bad girls, Regina?" Maleficent asks silkily.

"No," Regina says innocently and plays along.

"I _punish_ them," Maleficent whispers into her ear and her tongue darts out and licks Regina's earlobe.

Regina moans and feels a rush of wetness settling between her legs. "Y-you _do_?"

"Oh, yes," Maleficent breathes. "And I think you're in dire need of an attitude adjustment, my sweet. How _bad_ you've been, and that _dress_ …"

Regina whimpers. She's wet, so wet already and her core aches at Maleficent's words.

"Oh, it's too late to regret and feel sorry, my sweet," Maleficent says as she grabs the chair she was sitting on moments ago and pulls it into the center of the room. "You are getting punished and that's final."

Regina swallows thickly. Of course, she has a pretty good idea of what's coming for her, but that doesn't make it any less exiting. Well, it's too late to back out now, and she knows she'll enjoy it once they get started.

Maleficent sits down on the chair and flashes Regina a rather dangerous look. "Come here, you bad girl."

Regina walks over to her, and Maleficent pats her thigh. "Over my knee."

"But..." Regina says. Protesting is a part of this game.

"Right now, Regina," Maleficent warns. "Don't try to worm your way out of this. Bad girls get punished. Now _come here_."

Regina bites her lip as she lies down across Maleficent's lap. She can hear her own pulse hammering in her ear, and she's quite sure, she's already soaked.

"Do you know how I punish bad girls, Regina?" Maleficent asks silkily and runs her finger up and down Regina's bottom. "I _spank_ them."

Regina sucks in a breath.

"And that's _exactly_ what I'm gonna do to you, my sweet. A good over the knee spanking is what you need."

"Mmmph!" Regina hisses. Not because she's afraid, but because Maleficent is drawing this out.

"Shh, talking back at me will only make this worse, darling." Maleficent assures, and Regina grabs onto her ankle for support. She knows exactly what's about to hit her.

 _Smack_. The first strike lands on her left cheek, and Regina hisses.

 _Smack_. This time on her right cheek. Regina hisses again.

 _Smack_. Regina bites her lip and tightens her grip on Mal's ankle.

"Did that hurt, my sweet?"

"Y-yes," Regina answers. What did the dragon expect? _Of course_ it hurt.

"Do you want more?"

"Yes."

Maleficent cackles. "That's not a good girls answer, is it?"

 _Smack_. Regina yelps a little. No, she's definitely not a good girl tonight. She's bad, so bad.

 _Smack_. Maleficent's hand lands on her bottom again, and Regina can hear her huff. "Hmm. I'm afraid this won't teach you a lesson, darling." She never ceases her grip on Regina's waist, but she moves her other hand and lifts Regina's dress, revealing her bare legs and panties.

Regina shivers in anticipation.

 _Smack_.

 _Smack._

 _Smack._

Regina moans as Maleficent's hand lands directly on her sit spot. Oh _god,_ this feels so good. It's painful, but its even more pleasurable. Every strike sends shockwaves straight to her core.

 _Smack._

"Ahh!" Regina yelps, half in pain, half in pleasure.

"What's _this_?" Maleficent asks suddenly and cups her through her panties. "Are you _wet_ , Regina?"

"Y-yes."

"What am I gonna _do_ with you, you bad, bad girl," Maleficent says and clicks her tongue. She isn't very good at feigning disappointment though. Regina can hear how pleased she is.

"I-I don't know," Regina moans and wiggles her hips slightly.

"Wet _and_ grinding against me," Maleficent comments. "You are really just begging to be spanked, aren't you?"

Regina grinds against her again.

 _Smack._

 _Smack._

" _Maleficent_!"

"Hmm," Maleficent hums. "I think _this_ ought to teach you a lesson, my sweet," she carefully brings Regina's panties down her legs, leaving her completely bare.

 _Smack_.

Regina whimpers when Maleficent's hand connect with her bare bottom, and this time it actually hurts a bit.

"Shh," Maleficent soothes and gives Regina's clit a light pet.

That only makes Regina moan again.

 _Smack._

Pet.

 _Smack._

Pet.

 _Smack_.

Pet.

For every spank, she makes sure to pet Regina's clit, and it doesn't take long before Regina is moaning and wiggling on her lap, driven half mad with need.

"Quiet," Maleficent warns and "rewards" Regina with a particular hard spank to her bottom. "If you're quiet, I _might_ just give you what you want."

Regina swallows her moans.

 _Smack._ Pet.

 _Smack._ Maleficent takes her clit between two fingers and rubs it. Regina bites her lip.

 _Smack._

 _Smack._

 _Smack_.

Pet. Maleficent is definitely not playing fair anymore. She's practically rubbing Regina now.

Her bottom is on fire and her clit is throbbing. She needs, she needs, she desperately needs to…

"Alright, darling, I think you've learned your lesson. Stand." Maleficent says.

Regina tumbles off her lap and stands on shaky legs. Her bottom is burning, and she's so wet she could die on the spot.

"Bend over the bed," Maleficent says silkily.

Regina raises an eyebrow. That's hardly a position fitting for a queen.

"I couldn't possibly ask you to lie on your back," Maleficent continues. "That would only be painful for you, darling. Now _bend over the bed_."

Regina sucks in a breath and leans forward on her elbows until she's completely bent over the bed. The position embarrasses her, and she hides her face in one of the pillows.

"Spread your legs, darling."

Regina spreads her legs as much as she can.

Maleficent runs her finger up and down her back, and then, without any warning she swats Regina's bottom again.

" _Ow_!" Regina protests. She thought they were done with that.

"I'm sorry, darling," Maleficent laughs. "I couldn't resist it. But I promise I'll be nice to you now."

"You better, because otherwise I might just- _aaah_!" Regina interrupts herself midsentence and groans when Maleficent without any warning plunges two fingers inside her.

Regina moans and buries her head in the pillow. Maleficent begins to thrust hard and fast, and Regina's moans gets slightly muffled by the pillow.

She can't even scream, even if she wanted to. The way Maleficent' fingers move inside her, renders her completely speechless, and all she can do is arching backwards to meet Maleficent's fingers.

"Come for me, darling," Maleficent hisses and plunges a third finger inside her.

This time, Regina raises her head slightly and cries out. Her elbows shake with each thrust, and she fears she might just topple over and ruin it.

"I said _come for me, darling_ " Maleficent repeats and hooks her fingers inside Regina.

Regina cries out again. Maleficent suddenly gives her bottom another swat, causing Regina's legs to tremble slightly. Then the blonde sorceress moves one hand to Regina's front, giving her breast a clumsy grope and then sliding down, finding Regina's clit with her fingertip. She immediately starts rubbing the swollen nub in earnest, and Regina screams as the pleasure mounts inside her and the orgasm hits her like a sucker punch right in the gut.

She moans and moans and moans and then her elbows finally cave in, and she ends up half lying on the bed, head still buried in the pillows.

Maleficent cackles and lifts her weak legs up and swings them up on the bed so Regina is lying a bit more comfortably. Regina is grateful for that. Her legs had started to hurt a little.

Maleficent gracefully climbs up on the bed and flips Regina over so she's lying on her back instead.

Regina hisses a little when her backside comes into contact with the mattress.

Maleficent cackles again and places her palms flatly on the mattress, on either side of Regina's face. Then she leans down and kisses Regina surprisingly tenderly for someone who just did what she did moments ago.

"Happy birthday, darling." Maleficent breathes and places a feather light kiss on Regina's throat.

"Thank you," Regina giggles.

" _Love_ the dress," Maleficent adds, and Regina splutters quietly.

"But I think you will have to take it off," Maleficent muses.

"I can't move," Regina states plainly.

Maleficent waves her hand, and Regina gasps a little when her dress and corset disappears and leaves her completely naked.

"How's your backside?" Maleficent asks and wiggle a hand in between the mattress and Regina to cup her tender rear.

"Sore," Regina says truthfully and wiggles her hips a little.

"Careful," Maleficent warns and puts a hand on Regina's hip to still her. "Don't make me spank you again."

"Oh, you would like that, wouldn't you," Regina huffs. She's still a little rattled after the previous orgasm.

"Yes, yes, I would, but I don't think your backside would appreciate it. Lie on your front, little queen."

"Why?" Regina asks and sniffs into the air. Maleficent just brought out a bottle with something that smells rather good. Of vanilla and something else she can't quite name.

"What's that?" she inquires and raises on her elbow.

"It's oil, little one. Don't worry. This part won't hurt. Now lie on your front."

Regina rolls over to lie on her front and a second after, she hears Maleficent pop the lit off the bottle. A few of the vanilla scented drops lands on her backside, and Regina hums in appreciation. It feels nice and cool.

"Is that nice, little queen?"

"Yes," Regina murmurs and closes her eyes as Maleficent carefully rubs the scented oil into the tender skin on her backside.

"Did you find your spanking to be satisfying, Your Majesty?" Mal quips.

"Yes, very." Regina grins.

Maleficent cackles as she soothes Regina's skin with the oil. "Who would have thought that the little blushing queen were such a bad girl?"

"You've corrupted me," Regina giggles.

"Mmm, quite the easy one to corrupt," Maleficent murmurs, and she almost sounds a bit sad.

But Regina doesn't get any time to wonder about her tone, because Maleficent suddenly moves her fingers upwards and starts rubbing the oil into Regina's back.

"Now what are you doing?" Regina inquires.

"Giving you the full treatment," Maleficent says and grins a little as she spreads the oil all over Regina. From her lower back and all the way up to the nape of her neck.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	20. Oil and Flames

_**((Yeah, this chapter is loaded with smut. Don't like, don't read.))**_

 _ **Forbidden**_

 **Oil and Flames**

Regina hums in appreciation as Maleficent starts rubbing the oil all over her body. That feels nice. _Very_ nice. Regina has discovered just _how_ good Maleficent is with her hands.

Maleficent rubs the oil into her arms, her shoulders, her upper back, her lower back, and- Regina groans a little- into her still throbbing arse. Then she moves along to the back of her thighs, the back of her knees and her calfs.

Regina hums again.

"Is that nice, darling?"

"Mmm, yes," Regina answers. This is very nice indeed.

Maleficent squeezes her ankle a little. "Turn around."

"Why?" Regina asks drowsily.

"Because we're not done," Maleficent smirks.

Regina turns around and groans again when her sore bottom comes into contact with the mattress.

Maleficent smirks again as she tips the bottle and lets a few drops of the oil trickle down the front of Regina's chest.

Regina inhales sharply at that.

"Was that nice too, _darling_?" Maleficent drawls.

"Yes."

The blonde grins. "Spread your legs."

"Again?" Regina asks and raises an eyebrow. Well, she's not gonna protest against _that_.

But Maleficent simply grins wickedly as Regina spreads her legs. The blonde shifts slightly to sit between them, and then she goes to work. She squeezes a bit of oil out of the bottle and smears it all over Regina's stomach.

Regina shakily breathes in and out as Maleficent rubs the oil into her skin. She's growing slick between her thighs again, and it has nothing to do with the oil. She's certain that Mal can feel it. She's sitting right between Regina's legs, it would be strange if she didn't pick up on it.

And Maleficent smirks again as she squeezes a bit more oil out of the bottle and starts kneading it into Regina's left breast.

Regina's breath instantly hitches in her throat and she move her hand to her right breast to squeeze it.

"Oh, just imagine if your hands were bound, darling," Maleficent purrs as she watches Regina cup her own breast and tease the nipple.

"You would do that?" Regina asks and now it's her turn to smirk.

"I can already picture it, my sweet. You wet and glistening and begging me to touch you with your pretty hands restrained above your head."

"I think I would like that," Regina muses. She can very much picture that too.

"Oh, I _know_ you would like that, you bad, bad girl. Don't force me to give you another spanking." Maleficent cackles as she lets a drop of oil drip onto Regina's nipple.

"Mmm!" Regina wiggles her hips a little.

Maleficent switches side and rubs the oil into Regina's right breast. She grins as Regina makes an attempt at clenching her thighs together.

"I'll go lower in a minute, darling," the blonde sorceress assures as she kneads Regina's oil-slick breast.

"Good," Regina says plainly.

"But only because it's your birthday," Maleficent teasingly adds and Regina rolls her eyes.

"Don't be cheeky," Maleficent warns half-sternly, and Regina giggles.

Regina leans back and tries her best to relax as Maleficent kneads both of her breasts thoroughly. But it becomes increasingly difficult when Mal finally zeroes in on her nipples and rolls them between her fingers.

" _Mmm_!" she hums and rolls her hips a little. Her core is throbbing and sweat trickles down the side of her neck, mixing with the oil.

And it seems that Maleficent is done holding back now. She lowers her hands to Regina's core, but Regina shakes her head. "Take off your clothes."

Maleficent smirks playfully at that. "As Her Majesty wants." She quickly removes her robe and then the scrap of silk that serves as a nightgown.

"Is this what you wanted, Your Majesty?" Maleficent drawls and takes Regina's hands and places them on her own breasts.

"Yes," Regina says and clasps her hands around the back of Mal's neck, pulling her down for a heated kiss.

Maleficent promptly returns the kiss, and Regina "strikes" when the blonde is the most vulnerable. She swiftly flips them, so she's the one on top. The one in charge.

If her sudden change of mood surprises Maleficent, the blonde is very good at hiding it. She simply smirks up at Regina. "And what are you gonna do now, little one?"

"I..." Regina bites down on her neck. "Am not…" she kisses the soft spot behind her ear. "Little", she continues and claims Maleficent's mouth again.

Maleficent chuckles into the kiss. "You are. Everyone is young compared to _me_."

Regina ignores that and positions herself more comfortably on top of the blonde. She wiggles her hips slightly.

"And now what, darling?" Maleficent teases. "Are you just gonna lie there and..."

The blonde interrupts herself mid-sentence when Regina starts grinding their cores together, and Regina smirks. It would seem she has found a way to keep her dragon quiet.

 _Her_ dragon? No, not _her_ dragon. Of course not. They don't belong to each other. This isn't… They're not… It's just…

She gives up on trying to find out what she and Maleficent are and are not. Instead she rubs her core against Maleficent's again. Maleficent's fingers trails up and down her oil slicked back. Now they're both covered in the vanilla scented oil, and Regina is certain that Maleficent will have to use magic on the sheets to clean them. But maybe the smell of vanilla will keep staying in the fabric. Regina hopes so.

Regina decides that this is enough teasing. Maleficent is already rocking her hips to grind her core against Regina's. Regina figures that she has probably been wet for a while.

The brunette smirks at Maleficent and claims her lips again, doesn't even wait before she traces her tongue along the seam of Mal's lips and then pushes her lips apart, plunging her tongue inside. Maleficent's fingers grips onto her hair, and Regina moans into the kiss. Maleficent pulls her hair again, and Regina has to close her eyes for a second. Then she lowers one hand and rubs it over Maleficent's core. Maleficent hisses, and Regina breaks the kiss and lowers her head to Maleficent's breast instead. Maleficent growls, and for a moment she sounds exactly like… well, a _dragon_.

Regina plucks at the nipple, swipes her tongue over the areola all while she continues to rub between Maleficent's legs.

" _Inside_!" Maleficent hisses. "I want you inside me!"

Regina obeys the breathy order and slides two fingers inside Maleficent. Her mouth is still dancing on Maleficent's breast, and she makes sure to match her thrusts with what her mouth is doing.

Maleficent cries out and her hips bucks.

Regina sniggers into Maleficent's chest, and then she decides to take a risk. She bites down, not very gently at the top of Maleficent's right breast, and then she lets a third finger join the other two and hooks them just so.

Maleficent instantly falls apart underneath her. Her face contorts, and she cries out sharply, clutching at Regina's back with both of her hands.

Regina chuckles again. So her theory was correct. Maleficent likes pain just as much as Regina herself does.

After a moment, Maleficent loosens her grip on Regina, but Regina is far too comfortable to move. She absentmindedly plays with a lock of Mal's blonde hair while the dragon tries to steady her breath.

"Well, if you don't deserve a swatting for _that_ ," Maleficent says as she finally exhales sharply.

Regina giggles. "I was rather hoping for a _reward_ instead, Mal."

Maleficent instantly flips them over, and Regina's soft giggles turns to frantic moans as she blonde kisses her way down her stomach and finally ends between her thighs.

Her body is sticky, and the room still smells of vanilla when Regina wakes up. She has no idea of the time, but she's guessing it's early morning. The sun is still fairly low on the sky.

Maleficent is asleep next to her, she's a mess of unruly curls, and Regina immediately notice how their limbs are completely entwined. Maleficent's leg is bent over Regina's hip, and her arms are hugging Regina tightly into her body. Regina can feel the swell of the blonde's breasts against her back.

It feels nice, Regina notes. Falling asleep like this. Having Maleficent so close. She wanted more nights like these. Intense lovemaking and then snuggling up to one another afterwards.

 _Lovemaking_? No, no. They weren't making love, of course they weren't. They were having _sex_. That was all. Plain and simple. Because how could it ever be more? The thought alone was impossible.

But as Regina turns her head slightly to look at the sleeping woman next to her, she immediately feels a rush of warmth. And obviously, it doesn't take her long to convince herself of what that rush of warmth means. Maleficent is the first one she's been intimate with. That's why. That's the only reason.

Whenever they see each other, it's fun and pleasurable, but that's it. Nothing more.

Regina slowly peels Mal's long arms away from her body and stands from the bed. She's a bit sore and achy everywhere, but its mostly her core and bottom that throbs with each step. And she's still sticky and smells intensely of vanilla. Of sex and fire and _Maleficent_.

Regina quickly slips her panties and dress back on. Then she waves her hand and makes her appearance as perfect as it was yesterday when she arrived.

Maleficent mutters something in her sleep, and Regina smiles a little as she looks back at the sleeping sorceress.

"Thank you for giving me a proper celebration last night," she whispers. Then she leaves the Forbidden Fortress.

 _ **To Be Continued…?**_


	21. Restless

_**Forbidden**_

 _ **Restless:**_

Regina and Maleficent continues to see one another as often as they can.

Which is not often enough.

Of course, Regina is sometimes prevented because of her royal duties, and the magic lessons, they are more important than _anything_ , but suddenly the weekly visits from Maleficent turns into monthly instead.

And the four times Regina has made the journey to the Forbidden Fortress, she has been met by no answer and a completely empty castle.

Regina tries her best not to let that get to her. So, Maleficent has found something else to do with her life, something that doesn't involve Regina. What's the harm in that?

None. The _thing_ she had with Mal was just a distraction anyway. Something that pulled her attention away from the most important thing in this world:

Her revenge.

This is for the best. Now she can concentrate whole heartedly on studying magic and avoid Rumplestiltskin's wrath.

Except she can't. She can't concentrate. She's frustrated, and no matter how hard she tries to deny it, her focus is so much better when she's… _well taken care of_. And now that her greatest source of pleasure seemingly has found something else to do, she can only rely on herself and her own hands to bring her pleasure.

And that is nowhere nearly as satisfying. Her hands don't quite measure up to Maleficent's skills.

But it would appear that _that_ is a finished chapter.

So Regina despairs quietly. But not for long. Her despair soon turns into anger. _She should have seen this coming_. _Everyone leaves in the end, so why shouldn't Maleficent_? _You were just her plaything. Nothing more than pretty little thing that could keep her entertained for a short period of time. A fancy toy she could mold and bent to her will until she tired off it._

Regina tries her best not to think about how she willingly let the blonde take her to bed for the first time. That's just another thing she'll add to her ever-growing list of regrets. There's already enough regrets to fill a lifetime on that list, so why not add another one?

And Regina is done. She's done being a pretty little plaything. There will be no more wine and sweet words. No more promises of caresses and forbidden kisses in the hallway. She won't get tempted by Maleficent again.

But unfortunately, it's not that easy. Maleficent seems to be permanently out of her life, and Regina grows more and more frustrated. But she's not about to make the journey to the Forbidden Fortress and ask Maleficent why she's not coming to see her anymore. She's not about to _beg_. She can take of herself.

Except she can't. No touch is satisfying enough.

And the missing element in her life is affecting everything she does. She snaps at her chambermaids, her smiles to the king and Snow White are even more forced than usually. She feels like a ticking bomb, ready to explode at any minute.

And then there's Rumplestiltskin. He's even more malicious and taunting than usually, and he constantly comments on "how terribly frustrated" she seems to be these days.

And Regina does little to deny it.

She's completely at her wits end and ready to scream the whole castle down in pure frustration, when something suddenly happens.

Johanna knocks on her door and tells her that she's getting a new chamber maid. The nursemaid gently asks if "Her Majesty could find the time and wait while she will fetch the girl."

Regina nods in affirmative and waits while Johanna leaves her chambers to find the girl and present her for the queen.

Regina rolls her eyes. The king constantly changes her chambermaids. Sometimes they're young, sometimes they're old, sometimes they're quiet, and sometimes they're chatty. Regina prefers the quiet ones. The ones who simply does as they're told and then leaves her alone. To Regina, they're all the same. Just a horde of blurry faces. Why should this one be different? Just another puppet-like chambermaid, handpicked by the king.

There's a knock on her door. "Come," Regina snaps and puts the hairbrush down.

Johanna walks in, and she's followed by a young woman who seems in complete awe over being here.

Regina takes a second glance at the young woman. Well, she's rather... _pretty_. Maybe even beautiful.

"Your Majesty, this is…"

Regina holds her hand up to silence Johanna, and then she motions to the girl to step closer, so she can see her properly.

The girl stumbles into the faint light and Regina offers her a little half smile. She _is_ beautiful. Olive skin, dark hair and light brown, almond shaped eyes. She looks shockingly like Regina herself, and Regina finds this to be both amusing and a little sad. The king has presented her with a chambermaid who looks exactly herself. Is that supposed to a hidden message of how little he truly thinks of his queen?

But the girl is beautiful, without a doubt.

"What's your name, child?" Regina asks.

"G-Gabriela, Your Majesty," the girl says and curtsies clumsily.

Regina feels tempted to laugh. "And how old are you, Gabriela?"

"I've just turned eighteen last week, Your Majesty."

 _Eighteen. Eighteen. So young. So wide eyed_. "Congratulations."

"T-thank you, Your Majesty."

"You may leave," Regina tells Johanna, and the older woman curtsies and puts a reassuring hand on Gabriela's shoulder as to say "You'll be alright".

Then they're left alone, Regina and Gabriela. The young chambermaid looks positively _afraid_. Like a young deer stalking away from a huntsman, but clearly bound by her good manners: "D-do you want me to do anything, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, you may brush my hair," Regina says and hands Gabriela the hairbrush. She can feel the young girl's hand tremble as she brushes Regina's dark locks. And she keeps shooting Regina curious looks every so often.

"What is it?" Regina asks plainly. "I can almost see the wheels in your head turn."

"It's just…" Gabriela blushes, evades her eyes and concentrates on brushing Regina's hair. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, I'm forgetting my manners."

"Just spit it out, child," Regina insists and raises an eyebrow.

Gabriela blushes and Regina can't hear the nonsense she quietly mutters.

"You will speak up when you're talking to me!" Regina snaps. "And you will look me in the eyes."

Gabriela blushes harder and looks up, looks into the mirror to meet Regina's eyes. "I just hadn't expected Her Majesty to be this… young." She blushes again and looks at Regina's hair.

Regina chuckles dryly. This is something she has heard before. Gabriela isn't the first one to except King Leopold's wife to be older. "And how old do you think I am, Gabriela?"

"Nineteen? Twenty?" Gabriela guesses as she brushes through Regina's locks.

Regina laughs again, dryly still. "Close."

Gabriela laughs too, and Regina immediately notices that she has a very sweet laugh. Not that horse like excuse for a laugh that Snow White has, but not the false, unkind one Regina has recently adopted. No, Gabriela's laugh is genuine, a bit naïve, but _very_ sweet.

"I don't think my hair needs anymore brushing now, Gabriela."

"Oh! Of course not, Your Majesty," the girl blushes again and almost drop the hairbrush.

Regina almost rolls her eyes. What a nervous little thing. "I assume you know how to braid?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." The girl is quick to get Regina's hint, and she immediately begins braiding Regina's long hair.

"Of course you do," Regina nods. "You've braided your own hair?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"It's very pretty," Regina says plainly, and she could have sworn she heard the girl inhale at that.

"T-thank you, Your Majesty."

Regina doesn't say anymore. She just watches as Gabriela braids her hair. She has pretty hands, Regina notes. Slender, delicate fingers. Regina tilts her head a little and wonders. Wonders what this nervous little bundle of nerve is capable of? Eighteen years old and as innocent as a little lamb. How would she react if Regina touched her? If Regina stole a kiss from those pretty lips? She would probably be delightfully flustered. Maybe she would even _apologize_.

"Is this alright, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, Gabriela. That is very pretty." Regina says and rises from the chair. "You may go."

The girl leaves in a flurry of curtsies and "Your Majesty".

Once Regina is left alone, she immediately begins to wonder. What could sweet little Gabriela be hiding underneath all those layers of clothing? She had a beautiful body, Regina is already certain of that, and she's also certain that she would enjoy peeling off all those layers of clothes one by one and expose the girl's skin, inch by inch and hear Gabriela moan and say her name like a prayer.

Sweet, innocent Gabriela with her pretty smile. How heaven sent she seemed to be.

Regina smiles to herself. What was the harm in having a little fun? Why not enjoy the pretty things that were send to her? Why not count the many ways she could make Gabriela blush before the girl caved in and begged "Her Majesty" to kiss her?

 _ **To Be Continued?...**_


	22. Gabriela

_**Forbidden**_

 _ **Gabriela:**_

Sometimes Regina admires her own patience.

Gabriela proves to be quite the difficult one, and it takes a good two months before Regina finally coaxes her into drinking a glass of wine with her. Gabriela blushes and stammers but finally accepts the offer and brings the glass to her lips.

And suddenly, Regina is the one who lures with sweet words and wine.

But the waiting is quite worth it. Sweet Gabriela's cheeks turn rosy as she empties the glass. Regina is quick to offer her a second glass, and Gabriela willingly accepts it.

"This is good wine. Thank you, Your Majesty."

Regina smiles. "You're welcome, dear."

Gabriela blushes again, averts her eyes and empties her second her glass. "I should go. Thank you for the wine, Your Majesty."

Regina flashes her another smile. "Yes, you may go. In a moment. But let's strike a deal before you leave, shall we?"

"A-a deal, Your Majesty?"

"Yes," Regina says lightly. "At court, or anywhere else in public for that matter, I'm "Your Majesty", but when it's just you and me, I would appreciate it if you called me Regina."

Gabriela seems completely shocked by that. "But, Your Majesty, surely that wouldn't be appropriate..."

"Your Majesty is so formal, don't you think? We're almost the same age, and after all, we're friends, are we not?"

"F-friends, Your Majesty?"

"Yes," Regina says and pats Gabriela's hand lightly. "Friends."

The girl's pretty face lights up in an even prettier smile. "I would like that, Your Majes- _Regina_. I would like to be your friend." With that Gabriela curtsies and then leaves Regina's bedchamber.

Regina smiles a little to herself. What a fine treasure she stumbled upon. Such a beautiful little thing. So exotic. So completely unaware of her own beauty. And yet fairly responsive. She's gonna have quite a bit of fun with molding Gabriela until she turns into putty in Regina's hands.

She starts out slowly, though. She has no desire to overwhelm the poor girl. It's far better to let the girl work things out herself.

So, Regina starts out fairly innocently. A sweet smile for Gabriela every time their paths cross at the hallway. A slightly lowered voice whenever she speaks to her, to give the appearance that Gabriela is her only confidante in this wicked world.

Then there's the innocent touches. Perhaps a hand on her arm whenever they walk together in the royal gardens, hidden away from Snow White and the king. And Regina always makes sure to look Gabriela in the eyes whenever she speaks to her, and she doesn't hesitate to make the beautiful chambermaid laugh whenever she can. And Gabriela's laugh is entirely worth the effort. Such a sweet sound.

Their little evening glass of wine soon becomes ritual more than chance, and Regina knows that this is working. It gets harder and harder for Gabriela to not look at her in that special way. And sometimes the girl opens her mouth as to speak but regrets and closes her mouth instead.

"Would you like another glass of wine, Gabriela?" Regina offers one evening where the king has chosen an early night. The monarch isn't as young as he used to be, and pneumonia is hard to get rid of. Of course, every last single doctor and expert is attending to him, so "Her Majesty needn't worry. Your husband will soon be by your side again."

Is it too much to hope that the old fool will perish?

"Yes, thank you, Your..."

"Ah, ah, ah. What did I tell you of that?" Regina mock-scolds and laughs.

"Thank you, _Regina_ ," Gabriela corrects herself and returns Regina's smile tenfold.

Regina pours her a generous amount of the wine. "You have such a beautiful smile."

The girl blushes, bless her. "Thank you." She looks down at her hands.

"Now, now," Regina says and pats her hand lightly. "You needn't be shy. It's just you and me."

Gabriela nods a little and takes a small sip of her wine.

Regina takes a sip of the wine too, and then places the glass on her nightstand. She flashes Gabriela another smile as she slowly frees her hair from the up-do. She has to bite the inside of her cheek not to laugh when she sees Gabriela stare in awe at her hair. She's so delightfully obvious, and Regina wonders whether she was that obvious when she looked at Maleficent. But then she remembers. Maleficent is a finished chapter. There's no room for _Maleficent_ in her life anymore. No, this is much more exiting. Molding sweet, young Gabriela is much more exiting. It's _thrilling_ , and Regina enjoys it. The thrill of the chase.

"Regina? Are you alright?" Gabriela suddenly asks.

"Yes, of course I am."

"You suddenly just seemed a bit… distant."

Regina nods. "My apologies. But I'm afraid I don't feel my best tonight."

Gabriela immediately looks concerned. "Are you sick, Regina? Should I send for a doctor?"

Regina pats her hand again and feigns sadness when she sighs. "No, I'm not sick, Gabriela… I'm just… No, forget I said anything. I'll be fine."

Gabriela takes the bait, of course she does. Her dark eyes goes even wider than usual when she spontaneously puts her hand over Regina's. "You can confide in me, Regina. You can trust me, surely you know that?"

"I know that, darling, I just don't want to burden you with my troubles."

The _darling_ had been a complete wildcard on her behalf, but Gabriela doesn't even flinch. She just tightens her grip on Regina's hand and says: "Please? You can _trust_ me. I won't tell anyone, Your Maje- Regina."

Regina nods a little and pretends that Gabriela's sweet, reassuring words are what does the trick, and then she spills her guts to the young girl and tell her all about how terribly lonely her life is. How no one ever speaks a kind word to her, how the king is ignoring her, how Snow White _never_ will think of her as her mother.

"You must promise me to _never_ tell the king what I just told you," Regina adds. "He would be so terribly angry with me."

Gabriela nods frantically. "You have my word, Regina."

"Thank you," Regina smiles and leans in, so their shoulders are touching. "I knew I could confide in you, Gabriela. You are always so good to me."

"You deserve to have someone who is good to you," Gabriela murmurs quietly.

Regina flashes her a smile.

A little while later, Gabriela thanks her for the wine and leaves. Regina isn't disappointed. She already knows that she has planted a seed. A seed that will only continue to grow.

And a few weeks later, after continuing this dance of theirs, Regina gets her reward. It's very late at night when someone knocks frantically at her door.

"Come," Regina says and stuffs the spell book away in her drawer.

The door is opened, and Gabriela steps inside. Her midnight black hair is hanging loosely around her pretty face, and she's wearing nothing but a thin nightdress.

"Gabriela?" Regina says, feigning concern and surprise. "Are you alright?"

"I'm..." Gabriela inhales sharply. "I'm so confused, Your Majest- Regina."

"Confused?" Regina echoes and raises an eyebrow. "About what, my dear?"

"About… about…" the girl seems to be at loss for words, and for a moment, Regina enjoys seeing her squirming. It's rather fun to watch. But in the end, she finally takes mercy on her. She makes a "come here" motion with her fingers. Gabriela immediately steps closer to the bed, and that's when Regina strikes. She grabs the young girl's face and kisses her. Carefully, gently at first not to frighten the poor thing, and then she can feel Gabriela return the kiss. She kisses Regina roughly, passionately, and admittedly- a bit clumsily, but Regina nevertheless returns the kiss and cups the young girl's face tenderly. She can hear how Gabriela moans into the kiss and her hands tighten on Regina's shoulders.

Then, Regina breaks the kiss and gently pushes the girl away to look her in the eye. "Are you still confused… _darling_?" the word is unfamiliar on her tongue, but it seems to be doing the trick. Gabriela trembles.

"Yes," Gabriela breathes. "I don't know what… how…"

Again, she appears to be at loss for words, and Regina smiles, prolongs the moment. She's not entirely sure how fast she can move things. She doesn't want to spook the beautiful girl in front of her.

Gabriela leans in and kisses her again, and Regina can feel the electricity crackle between them. Their chemistry is palpable, delicious and _right there_ , so why waste time on waiting?

"What do you want, Gabriela?" she whispers huskily in between kisses. "What do you truly desire?"

"Y… _You_ ," Gabriela croaks and clasps her hands around the back of Regina's neck. "You, Regina."

"Come to bed with me, then," Regina suggests and slides one hand up to play with the delicate strap on Gabriela's nightgown.

" _Yes_ ," Gabriela moans.

Regina willingly shoves the covers aside and scoots to make room for Gabriela in her bed. The girl is eager, so eager and she doesn't hesitate before she pulls Regina down on top of her.

Regina smiles slightly as she kisses the girl's neck. This is certainly going as planned. Her sweet little maid is responding to her every touch and doesn't protest when Regina removes her nightgown and lets her hands roam over the girl's naked body.

"So beautiful," Regina purrs. "Exactly like I suspected."

"You've… You've imagined this moment, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, indeed, my dear," Regina says and doesn't correct the girl. She feels every bit a queen right now. And Gabriela looks at her like Regina was some sort of goddess.

Regina smirks slightly as she without any warning wraps her lips around Gabriela's hard nipple. The girl moan and trashes on the bed. Regina raises an eyebrow as she begins kneading Gabriela's other breast. It is as she suspected. No one has ever touched sweet Gabriela like this before, and the thought of being her first- of _taking her_ , sends a pool of wetness straight to Regina's core. She sucks harder at Gabriela's nipple, and she moans again and breathes Regina's name like a prayer.

" _Regina_!"

Regina only hums in response as she switches to Gabriela's other breast and leaves tiny butterfly kisses all around the girl's nipple. She hasn't even touched Gabriela anywhere else yet, but the girl is already thrashing and clenching her thighs together.

 _So eager. So responsive. So sweet_.

This is delightfully refreshing. Gabriela looks at her like Regina is some sort of goddess, and Regina enjoys being the one who holds all the power for once. Gabriela isn't ordering her to do this and that, and she isn't teasing her with her touches. Her touches are a bit clumsy, but Regina reckons that it's only a matter of time before the sweet little thing gets the hang of it.

"Oh, please- I..."

Regina decides to take mercy on the beautiful girl and begins trailing kisses down her belly. Gabriela almost hisses at that and clenches her thighs together again. Regina dips her tongue into her belly button and Gabriela moans and clutches the sheet between her fingers.

"Shh, darling," Regina gently admonishes. "We can't wake the whole castle, can we?"

Gabriela immediately shakes her head and clamps her mouth shut.

Regina deems the girl ready and brings one hand down. She gently strokes between her legs until Gabriela is almost sobbing, throwing one arm over her eyes.

 _No more games_. Regina removes her hand, making Gabriela whimpering at the loss, and then she slides her panties down in one, graceful movement.

Now Gabriela is utterly bare for her, and Regina is once again taken in by her beauty. She quickly dips down and takes the girls mouth again. Gabriela eagerly responds to the kiss, and the way her fingers touches Regina's cheek is so delightfully hesitant. So uncertain.

 _Time to replace that uncertainty with something else_. Regina once again trails kisses down her belly and all the way down to her abdomen, but this time she doesn't stop. She carefully spreads the girl's legs and settles between them.

As expected, it doesn't take much of Regina's fingers and tongue before Gabriela tightens around her and bites her lip not to scream. Her entire body shakes, and Regina feels every bit pleased with herself.

Once Gabriela is calmer, Regina gathers the girl in her arms and holds her close. She might be young and a bit shy, but she's definitely a very sweet bedwarmer.

"T-That was amazing," Gabriela breathes and looks up at Regina.

Regina chuckles hoarsely. "I'm glad you think so, dear."

The girl suddenly seems uneasy again and looks doubtfully up at Regina.

"Oh, don't worry, darling. I won't tell anyone. It will be…" Regina wraps one of Gabriela's dark locks around her fingers. "Our secret."

"Our secret," Gabriela echoes and inhales breathlessly as Regina once again slides a hand in between her legs.

It truly goes beyond Regina how neither the king, Snow or anyone else at the court notices what's going on between her and Gabriela. Because they aren't exactly being discreet. They spend all their time together, and Regina even brings Gabriela with her on the few journeys she can't talk her way out.

And the journeys certainly are less dull when Gabriela is with her. Ironically enough, Snow White adores Gabriela, and Regina often finds herself laughing at the absurdity.

It turns out that Gabriela is quite the quick study herself, and it doesn't take long before their "relationship" is as rewarding for Regina as it is for Gabriela.

Plus, Regina's magic lessons are more rewarding, too. Knowing that Gabriela will knock on her door with a glass of wine and promises in her sweet voice, seems to do the trick, and it doesn't take long before Regina masters both cloaking spells, transporting spells and the ability to make objects fly.

Yes, Gabriela truly is a blessing.

But Regina is always aware that what they have will end sooner than later. None of her maids stays for very long. Eventually, they leave the castle to get married.

" _I_ wouldn't," Gabriela denies. "I'll stay with you, Regina."

Regina simply smiles and gives the girl's hand a soft kiss. She knows better. They always leave in the end.

A few weeks later finds Regina sitting in front of her vanity table. She's in the middle of brushing her long dark hair when there's a quiet knock on her door.

"Come." She says without turning around.

A moment later, Gabriela steps inside, exquisite as always in a light green dress and her dark hair flowing freely.

Regina flashes her lady's maid a soft smile.

"Let me do that," Gabriela immediately offers and takes the brush from Regina.

"As you wish, dear," Regina hums and leans her head back as Gabriela starts brushing her hair. Among her many talents, Gabriela is very good at brushing her hair.

But it would seem that hairbrushing isn't the only thing on Gabriela's mind tonight. The girl gingerly leans down and claims Regina's lips in a soft kiss.

Regina immediately returns the gesture and cups Gabriela's face. "Someone is eager tonight," she laughs when she finally breaks the kiss.

Gabriela nods and kisses Regina again.

 _Very_ eagerly it would seem, Regina muses to herself when Gabriela starts trailing kisses down her neck, lifts her hair and kisses the back of her neck. Regina is just beginning to relax and getting lost in the sensation, when Gabriela suddenly sinks her teeth into the soft flesh on Regina's neck.

Regina instantly stiffens, bats her hand away and stands from the chair. This isn't Gabriela. She would never dare to do that, and she certainly wouldn't initiate a kiss like this. Regina is _always_ the one who initiates their… _intimate_ moments.

There's only one person in this world who would dare to bite Regina's neck.

"Loose the disguise, Maleficent." Regina says sharply.

Gabriela's face twists, her mouth curls into a smirk as she starts speaking with a voice that isn't hers: "Oops. What gave me away?"

 _ **To Be Continued…..**_


	23. Fragile

_**Forbidden**_

 _ **Fragile**_ _ **:**_

"Loose the disguise," Regina repeats dryly and rubs the spot on her neck where Maleficent just bit her.

Maleficent smirks again, waves her hand and Gabriela's doppelganger disappears.

"So, I've underestimated you, _darling_ ," she purrs, but Regina can sense something behind her cool façade.

Regina shrugs and picks the hairbrush up, resuming the task of brushing her hair.

"Are you fucking her?" Maleficent asks plainly and steps closer to Regina.

"What's it to _you_?" Regina sneers. She suddenly becomes hyper-aware of that void Maleficent's absence left her with.

Maleficent's mouth twists again, but this time not in amusement. " _Are_ you?"

Regina doesn't care one bit for that tone. It's almost like Maleficent is _accusing_ her of something. Which is obviously completely wrong, because what right have she to ask Regina that? _Maleficent_ was the one who suddenly stopped showing up.

"Can you blame me if I do?" Regina drawls and sticks her chin up.

Maleficent's hand suddenly lands on her shoulder and her fingernails digs into the soft flesh on Regina's bare shoulder.

"Why?" Maleficent asks and squeezes her shoulder tightly. "Why did you have to do _that_?"

Regina laughs, coldly, uninterested and stands from the chair, bats Maleficent's hand away. "Really, Maleficent, that can't be very surprising for you, can it? _You_ were the one who suddenly lost interest, so can you blame me for finding someone else?"

"Lost interest?" Maleficent echoes and straightens her back so she's suddenly looming over Regina.

"Four times I came to your castle, and four times I was met by nothing than silence and empty rooms!" Regina spats. "So I naturally assumed that you have found something else to do with your life. Which I can't blame you. You weren't doing much else than just sitting and moping in those marble halls of yours, weren't you?"

"You thought I had forgot about you, is that it?" Maleficent asks, and her voice is suddenly surprisingly _tender_.

But Regina refuses to soften. "Wouldn't that be the most natural thing to do? What was happening between us was just a bit of fun anyway. Just a distraction."

"A _distraction_?!" Maleficent says, and now there's no tenderness left in her voice. The anger is coloring her cheeks, and her blue eyes sparkles dangerously.

Regina shrugs again. "I'm married, I'm sure you are aware of that."

"To a man who doesn't even look in your direction," Maleficent sneers, "but this _girl_ … This _Gabriela_ …" she almost spits the name out like it's venom on her tongue.

Regina chuckles coldly. "Did you expect me to just sit around and wait until it pleased you to _look in my direction_ again? Do you think you _own_ me just because we've fucked a few times?! Did it never occur to you that I might just find someone a little closer to home? Someone who's actually there when I need her, and not just when it pleases her?!"

"And did you think, _little queen_ ," Maleficent sneers and grasps Regina's chin roughly. "That I stayed away because I _wanted_ to?"

"Well, what the hell was I supposed to think?!" Regina hisses. " _Six_ months, Maleficent! Six months where I heard absolutely nothing from you. No messages, nothing! Of course I thought that you had moved on!"

Maleficent suddenly releases her and rolls the sleeve on her black velvet dress up. "King George's sword," she growls and points to a rather nasty looking gash on her forearm. She lowers the collar on the dress and reveals her collarbone. "his guard's arrow," she says and points to another gash on her pale collarbone.

Regina completely forgets to be angry. All of her anger suddenly vaporizes in thin air and she quietly asks: "What happened to you?"

"I was ambushed," Maleficent says, and her anger seems to vaporize too. "Attacked when I was the most vulnerable. They stripped me of my magic and chained me to the wall in the dungeon, and not in the way I like to be chained, might I add."

Now Regina doesn't only feel shocked, but also mortified. Maleficent was captured. Chained and tortured while Regina lured another woman to her bed in a silly attempt to get back on her.

She really can't do anything right.

"Why?" she asks. "Why did they do that to you?"

Maleficent shrugs. "I'm a dragon, darling. They don't need a reason to capture and imprison a monster."

 _A monster._ No, Maleficent is not a monster. Regina knows that. And she also has a pretty good idea who the real monster is here.

"I escaped more by chance than opportunity," Maleficent continues, "and I immediately looked into my mirror to see what you were doing. Needless to say, I was rather shocked at what I saw. A chambermaid, really darling? You couldn't be a little less obvious?"

Regina feels completely mortified. The hurt in Maleficent's voice is really something that squeezes at her barely-functioning heart. She acted too hastily. Once again, she managed to mess things up.

"You should go," she mutters and looks anywhere but at Maleficent.

Maleficent raises an eyebrow.

"I'm relieved to see that you are alive and well, but I would very much like to be alone right now, so please just… please just go," Regina murmurs quietly.

"If that's what you want," Maleficent says, like she did once before, and with a soft swirl of magic and a faint chorus of crows, Regina is left alone in her bedroom.

Regina doesn't leave her chamber anymore that night. Or the following day. Everything inside her aches and screams. What a _fool_ she has been. Such a _bloody_ fool. And now everything is ruined, Regina is certain of that.

Because why should Maleficent care for her now? Now that she knows exactly what sort of monster Regina is. What kind of woman she is. Someone who will climb into bed with the first person she can get.

No, Maleficent is done with her, of course she is. Regina has ruined everything. And for _what_? Because it was thrilling to lure Gabriela into her bed? What sort of person _does_ that?

Why does she always think the worst of everyone? Why is she so _bad_?

Regina doesn't eat anything that day. She informs Johanna that she's unwell and will be staying in her chambers. Johanna advises her to get some sleep.

But Regina doesn't. She _can't_. She keeps seeing Maleficent's face before her eyes. She keeps hearing the hurt in the other woman's voice.

Maybe Regina even sheds a few tears over what's happened. Maybe she even intends to cry herself to sleep that night. Maybe she cries as she tries to forget everything about the blonde sorceress and the marks on her body and the betrayal in her eyes.

She's pulled out of her misery and lifts her wet cheeks from the pillow when something suddenly happens. A swirl of magic suddenly engulfs her, and Regina closes her eyes. She's really not in the mood to be transported to Rumplestiltskin's castle tonight. She can't handle a magic lesson tonight.

But when she opens her eyes again, she's not in the dark castle, and Rumplestiltskin is nowhere to be seen. Instead, she opens her eyes to purple sheets and flickering flames in the fireplace. And Maleficent's arms around her.

Regina lifts her head from the pillow. "Maleficent, I…"

"Shh," Maleficent says gently and holds her even closer. "I've missed you too."

Regina's façade completely falls apart at that, and she breaks down in sobs that wracks her body. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…"

"It's _okay_ ," Maleficent says as she strokes her hair. "Shh, don't cry, darling one. I can't bear when you cry."

But Regina _does_ cry. Her tears embarrass her, and she turns away from Maleficent and shields her face in her hands.

Maleficent is having none of it. She gently but firmly gathers Regina in her arms and strokes her hair, comforts her like a child, kisses her forehead and holds her close.

"I'm sorry," Regina repeats again and again. "I don't know why I… I don't know what's _wrong_ with me."

" _Nothing_ is wrong with you, darling," Maleficent murmurs against her hair. "You were hurting and were just trying to find a way to stop hurting. I can relate to that."

But her kind words only make it worse, and Regina tries to wiggle out Maleficent's grasp. "I shouldn't be here. I don't even know why you would _want_ me here."

"No, stop trying to leave all the time," Maleficent insists and grabs Regina's wrist. "I thought we were beyond all that."

Regina isn't too sure of that anymore, but she still silently agrees to being coaxed back into bed.

"Your maid is very pretty," Maleficent says a moment of silence.

Regina's grimed cheeks flushes.

"And so very like you," Maleficent continues. "I see the appeal."

Regina mutters something incoherent. Her skin is burning, and she chews on her bottom lip.

Maleficent surprises her by laughing a little. "I turn my back for five minutes and look what happens…"

Regina's cheeks burn. "I'm sorry…"

"Oh, do stop apologizing all the time, darling," Maleficent drawls. "I was just surprised, that's all. Because you're right. I don't own you. I have absolutely no right to be angry."

"But you _were_ ," Regina says quietly and raises on her elbow.

"Mmm," Maleficent hums noncommittally.

"Mal?" Regina asks hesitantly and reaches out to touch the other woman's shoulder.

"Yes, my dear?"

"Were you… _jealous_?"

"Now, why on earth would I be that?" Maleficent asks and suddenly adopts a rather teasing tone: "After all, you and I just _fucked_ a few times. Just a bit of fun, right?"

Regina flushes again when she hears her own words.

Maleficent laughs and brushes a strand of hair behind Regina's ear. "Perhaps I'm not too fond of seeing you _having fun_ with someone that isn't me…"

Regina laughs too, and then she leans in and kisses Maleficent. She hopes that kiss will serve as another apology. An apology, Maleficent doesn't brush aside.

And Maleficent gingerly responds to the kiss and wraps her arms more fully around Regina. It doesn't take long before Regina finds herself to be lying on her back with Maleficent on top of her. And the dragon seems to have one thing on her mind only. She grabs a fistful of Regina's nightgown, and Regina yelps when the material is suddenly ripped apart.

"Was that really necessary?" she breathes when Maleficent removes her own nightgown.

"Yes, it really was," Maleficent says plainly and smirks down at her.

But Regina winces slightly when she sees how battered Maleficent truly is from her run-in with King George. It's not only her collarbone and arms that are affected. Her upper body is covered in bruises and nasty looking scratches. Regina slowly raises a hand and waves it over every single mark on Maleficent's body.

Maleficent pauses and stills her hand on Regina's breast. "Thank you, darling," she breathes softly and smiles down at Regina.

"I'm sorry," Regina says, and this time she's not apologizing for the ordeal with Gabriela.

"It's nothing, darling," Maleficent assures. "You needn't worry."

"I should have thought of it," Regina says bitterly. "I should have figured out that you were in some sort of trouble..."

"And you would have what?" Maleficent gently teases. "Barged into King George's palace like a little ball of anger and demanded that he released me?"

"Yes, something like that," Regina giggles.

"You're very sweet," Maleficent says, exactly like she used to do. "My good girl."

Regina stretches her neck slightly to kiss her again, and Maleficent responds to the kiss. But only for a moment. Far too soon, she breaks the contact and smirks at Regina again as she repositions herself and crawls between the brunette's legs.

"Mmmph!" Regina groans when she feels Maleficent's fingers brush through her slit. She's wet, of course she is, and she catches herself beg for Maleficent's fingers.

"Not yet darling," Maleficent breathes. "I want to _taste_ you first. It's been too long."

Regina groans again at that and wiggles her hips.

Maleficent grabs not one but two pillows and positions them underneath Regina's bottom. Regina raises an eyebrow. With her lower body raised like this, she can't see what's going in, and that's almost as bad as being blindfolded.

But a second later, she's not in doubt of what's going on. Maleficent's tongue licks her flawlessly from entrance to clit, and Regina moans.

It doesn't take Maleficent long to push Regina into the first orgasm, but she doesn't stop there. She continues to lick and suck and fuck Regina with her tongue. She's relentless tonight. It's almost like Maleficent is _drinking_ her. Uses her tongue on her until Regina is completely dry.

Regina soon looses count on how many times she's been pushed over the edge tonight. Her mind is completely spinning and she's hoarse from yelling Maleficent's name.

"Turn around," Maleficent breathes into her ear.

"Mmm… what?" Regina answers, completely dizzy from the multiple orgasms.

"Turn around," Maleficent repeats as she swiftly removes the pillows.

Regina groans but nevertheless does as she's told to. She turns around and lies flat on her stomach instead.

Maleficent clicks her tongue a little. "Not like that. On your hands and knees, if you please, my sweet."

Regina lifts her head and shoots Maleficent a look. She appears to be serious. Regina ignores that little part that screams that this is no position for a queen and raises on her knees. She presses her palms flatly against the mattress for support.

"Good girl," Maleficent breathes behind her and Regina yelps and nearly topples over when she gives her bottom a swat.

"You deserved that, didn't you?" Maleficent half-laughs.

"Y-yes," Regina breathes.

"Would you like me to do it again?"

"Yes, please."

 _Swat_. Maleficent spanks her again, and this time the blow is so hard, Regina's elbows cave in and she topples over.

"Ow." She mumbles as she tries to reposition herself on her hands and knees.

Maleficent cackles as she helpfully grips Regina's hips to help her up. "Let me make amends, darling."

"And how exactly were you planning on doing-..." the rest of the question dies on her lips and she cries out instead when Maleficent suddenly slides two fingers inside her.

"Like _this_ ," Maleficent suggests and starts moving her fingers swiftly, deeply within Regina.

" _Ahh_!" Regina can already feel herself getting close _again_. How is that even possible?

 _Smack_. Maleficent's other hand lands on her bottom again. Regina lowers her head slightly and whimpers.

 _Smack_. Maleficent slides a third finger into her and thrusts them hard and fast. Regina feels how her thighs quakes slightly. The way Maleficent's fingers moves within her makes her knees buckles and she fears that she will topple over again.

 _Smack_.

Regina doesn't topple over. Instead she comes hard and fast and with Maleficent's name on her lips. Her walls clenches almost painfully around Maleficent's fingers and her elbows, unable to take the pressure anymore turns into jelly. She ends up with her head buried in the pillows, and she barely registers that Maleficent lifts her hips again and her tongue dives in between Regina's legs to lick her clean.

Regina squirms a little. She's oversensitive now.

Maleficent finally withdraws her tongue and sniggers a little as she lies down next to Regina.

"Ugh…" is all Regina can say. Her mouth and nose are buried in the pillows, and she is suffocating a little, but she can't move her head. Or anything else for that matter.

"I've missed you, darling," Maleficent says spontaneously.

"Guhh," Regina mumbles. How unintelligent of her, but it's the best she can do right now. Her body is still tingling.

Maleficent cackles and puts a warm hand on Regina's lower back. "Have I robbed you of your voice, darling?"

"N-no," Regina manages to say. The Forbidden Fortress is slightly blurred around the edges, and she can barely keep her eyes open, but she still has _something_ to do. She outstretches a trembling hand toward Maleficent, tries her best to remind herself that she hasn't pleasured Maleficent in the slightest yet.

But Maleficent simply laughs and bats Regina's hand away. "I appreciate the thought darling. But I doubt you would be able to actually _do_ anything."

"Give... me… a… chance," Regina groans and tries her best to get her mind and body to cooperate.

"No. Not tonight, darling. You're about to pass out."

Regina doesn't deny that. "But what about _you_?"

Maleficent laughs again, brushes her lips against the side of Regina's neck. "I can wait until tomorrow. When you have regained your strength. Now sleep."

"Here?" Regina asks doubtfully. "Are you sure you want me to stay?"

"Yes. I _very much_ want you to stay," Maleficent says firmly and wraps her arms tightly around Regina.

 _ **To Be Continued?...**_


	24. A Different Kind of Celebration

(( **Small time jump!))**

 _ **Forbidden**_

 _ **A Different Kind of Celebration:**_

Regina turns twenty-two that year, and not long after, King Leopold invites half of the kingdom to come and celebrate his own birthday.

Once again, the castle is abuzz, and the maids frantically runs around to make everything perfect for the upcoming celebration.

No number is ever mentioned, but it doesn't take Regina long to figure out that the king is turning fifty-seven.

Her _husband_ is fifty-seven.

Fifty-seven. He's growing older, and not even the king is gonna live forever.

Regina had settled with that and had mentally prepared herself to play King Leopold's good little wife tonight.

That is, until she wakes up on the day for the celebration with terrible cramps and blood between her legs.

Regina scoffs as she climbs out of the bed on unsteady legs. Blood between her legs on the king's birthday. It's almost laughable.

She sends her maids away and draws herself a bath. It always helps soothing the terrible ache in her stomach and lower back. Regina scrubs herself down with the loofa. Her breasts feels terribly full and so tender. Her stomach is bloated and her lower back terribly cramped.

Well, at least this means that she can't possibly join the celebration tonight.

It's not all bad news.

Regina draws out the time and waits until the water is getting quite cold. Then she drags her reluctant body out of the bath.

She barely gets the chance to get dressed before Snow White comes bursting into her chambers in a flurry of raven black hair and flowing skirts.

" _Snow_!" Regina hisses and immediately finishes binding the corset around her. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, stepmother," Snow says and bites her lip. "I thought you were up already."

"It's common curtsy to knock before barging in!" Regina scolds and pulls the deep-green dress over her head.

"I'm sorry, stepmother." Snow repeats and brushes a hand over her skirts. "I was just so exited about tonight, about celebrating Father's birthday!"

"I see."

"Aren't _you_ exited to celebrate Father's birthday?" Snow asks and raises an eyebrow.

"Of course I am, dear." Regina says automatically. "But I'm afraid I won't be present much tonight."

"Oh Regina, surely you don't mean that!" Snow exclaims. "Father would be so disappointed.

 _Your father wouldn't care whether I was there or not_. "I'm not feeling very well today, Snow."

"Should I send for someone?" Snow asks sweetly.

Regina silently wonders how its possibly for someone to be _that_ naïve. Snow is fourteen and might be a late bloomer, but this happens _every_ month. How can she still be stupid enough to think that Regina needs help to handle _this_?

"No, thank you, dear. I'll be quite alright on my own," Regina says dryly, and Snow immediately flushes; it would seem that she finally understands what Regina is referring to.

Regina keeps the façade up for a while. She stands by the king's side and participates in Snow's toast for him, listens to the little brat's sentimental speech about what her beloved father means to her, and then Regina slips out of the room. Quietly and unseen and thoroughly unnoticed.

It's a great relief when she's finally able to shut the door to her bedchambers and retire for the night. Her head hurts, her lower back is aching after sitting down on the hard chairs for most of the night. Her stomach is cramping and tying in knots and she's so tired.

And she's in a terrible mood. Her monthly bleeding always does that do her. Not that it's much of a change from her usual mood, but still.

Regina sighs deeply as she shimmies out of her dress and unties her corset. She wants to take another bath. It's the only thing that helps with the pain. That and chocolate. But she's denying herself that tonight. She refuses to skulk around in the kitchen after it and asking Johanna to fetch it for her is even worse. The old nursemaid would only give Regina a look of _pity_ , and if there's anything Regina hates when she feels like this, it's pity.

So she draws herself another bath and eagerly climbs into the warm water. It soothes some the ache she's feeling in her stomach and lower back. But unfortunately, there's nothing she can do about the terrible bloating. She feels awful and disgusting and _hungry_ , even though she ate plenty at the dinner.

Regina leans her head back and rubs her palm over her aching abdomen. For some reason, it seems to hurt more tonight than it usually does, but at least she's used to it. she still remembers how shocked she had been at fourteen years old, when the blood had appeared between her legs for the first time.

And Mother hadn't been much of a help. She had simply scoffed and asked Regina not to speak loudly of it again. It wasn't ladylike, and the pain would only get better once she had gone through childbirth.

 _Childbirth_. Regina scoffs. That's not very likely to happen. The only children she had imagined bringing into this world, were Daniel's children. When Snow was younger, she often spoke about how she wanted a younger brother or sister, but as the years had passed by, she had spoken lesser and lesser about it.

Regina's intestines twists. The mere thought of being pregnant with the king's child is nauseating. It's not the first time she thanks whatever god that he isn't interested in her in _that_ way. Otherwise she might have been a mother to his child by now.

She scoffs again and moves her hand up to palm her forehead instead. Her head really hurts, and she feels rather dizzy. Maybe she should just try and get some sleep instead.

Yes, that's exactly what she'll do. She'll dry herself off and then go to bed. Regina stands from the bath, wraps a towel tightly around her and then slips into her bathrobe. She leaves her private bathroom and returns to her bedchamber. It's her intention to go to bed, but she doesn't quite reach her destination before the dizziness overtakes her, her world blackens for a moment and she stumbles around blindly.

If it hadn't been for a pair of rather strong arms around her, she would probably have fallen face first, but someone catches her, and Regina doesn't even have to look up to know that it's Maleficent. She can smell the fire.

"Darling? What happened?" Maleficent asks and holds her upright.

"Dizzy," Regina says plainly. The world is spinning before her eyes.

Maleficent quickly helps her to bed, and Regina offers the dragon her gratitude and wiggles under the covers.

"Have you been drinking, little one?" Maleficent inquires.

"No," Regina giggles half-heartedly. "But maybe I should have."

Maleficent doesn't ask her what's wrong, but Regina can see her nostrils flare when she inhales, and the brunette blushes. Mal has already told her all about her heightened senses, and the thought that Maleficent can _smell_ what's "wrong" with her is enough to make her even more uncomfortable.

"Why are you here?" she murmurs softly.

"You didn't show up for your lesson. I got worried," Maleficent says.

"Did I have a lesson today?" Regina frowns.

"Yes."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I completely forgot."

"That's quite alright little one."

"Perhaps it would be better if you just left," Regina mumbles. "I'm not very good company tonight."

"But I'm sure you would like some company though?" Maleficent says nonchalantly and the bed dips slightly as she sits down.

"Maybe not tonight," Regina muses. She's not entirely comfortable with having Maleficent here while she's… while she's… While her body is _acting up_.

"Nonsense. My castle was getting terribly _boring_."

Regina only moans in response. Her abdomen is once again tightening and twisting as if someone was squeezing it too tightly. She curls up in a ball under the covers.

"Is it always like this?" Maleficent asks calmly.

"Yes."

"Poor thing," Maleficent says, and she sounds quite genuine as she stretches a hand out and touches Regina's cheek. "You know, curling up like that will only make it worse, darling."

That's probably the truth, but Regina can't uncurl at the moment. The pain is too intense.

"May I?" Maleficent asks and pushes the covers aside.

Regina nods sleepily.

Mal slides into bed with her, settles behind her and rubs her shoulders lightly. "Where is everybody?"

"It's the king's birthday," Regina mutters.

"Ah. How old did he turn again? A hundredth and seven?"

Regina chuckles dryly. "Fifty-seven."

"Fifty-seven…" Maleficent echoes and Regina can practically hear the disbelief drip from her voice.

"He's not so young as he used to be," Regina quips half-heartedly and groans again as her abdomen spasms and cramps up.

Maleficent puts her hand on her abdomen and Regina can immediately feel the soothing warmth float from her fingertips and straight into where it hurts the most. "Thank you."

"Anytime, my darling."

"Aren't you afraid that someone will walk in and catch us?" Regina slurs sleepily and takes Maleficent's free hand in hers.

"If they did, I would simply vanish and take you with me. Permanently."

Regina chuckles. Maleficent has never spoken like that before, and Regina is just about to accuse her of "going soft" when Maleficent plants a light kiss on the side of her neck. "I do so enjoy spending time with you, little one."

"Mm, likewise," Regina breathes. "I'm glad you came tonight."

Maleficent hums in response and slides a hand down Regina's tender abdomen. It feels very nice and Regina finds that she's able to stretch her legs again.

So, her stomach feels a bit better, but her head is still aching up and her lower back still entirely cramped. She's still uncomfortable, despite Maleficent's warm hand on her abdomen.

"You're squirming," Maleficent comments, but her voice isn't one bit unkind.

"I'm sorry. My back hurts." Regina mumbles.

"Cramps?" Maleficent asks plainly and rubs her hand lightly over Regina's lower back.

"Yes. I don't think I'm the best kind of company tonight."

Maleficent completely ignores that. "And do you know what the best cure for both cramps and headache is, my sweet?"

"No. But name it and I will drink it," Regina quips.

Maleficent chuckles warmly. "Oh, I'm afraid it's not something you can drink."

"No? What is it then?" Regina asks.

Maleficent answers by slipping her hand lower and give Regina's inner thigh a light caress.

Regina's body instantly stiffens, and her hand flies up to the edges of the towel that's still wrapped around her.

"Relax," Maleficent says gently. "I'm not going to take it off. I just want to help you. To make you feel better. Doesn't that sound nice, darling one?"

It does. Regina has to admit that. But… when her body is like _this_? Isn't that a bit strange or embarrassing?

"Relax," Maleficent whispers into her temple. "Close your eyes."

So, Regina does, and she tries to remain calm when Maleficent's hand once again slips lower, underneath the covers, and she hikes the towel slightly up.

Regina exhales softly when Mal finds her clit with her fingertip and starts circling it slowly. This is _nice_. Better than nice. She "mm's" in appreciation and parts her legs slightly for better access. Maleficent continues to circle her clit slowly, she's concentrating entirely on the sensitive little nub and doesn't even try to penetrate Regina.

And Regina is grateful for that. It would probably have been too painful today. But this… this is _very_ good. The slow way Maleficent is circling her clit. She hasn't been this gentle with Regina since the first night they've spend together.

Maleficent's attention to her clit soon pays off, and Regina moans and bites her lip. Her body is so sensitive, it doesn't take long before she comes with a breathy moan and a soft sigh.

Maleficent kisses her temple and brings the towel back down over her exposed thighs. "Don't you feel so much better now?"

Regina nods once. She does. But she doesn't feel sleepy anymore. Instead she rolls over in the bed and starts undoing the strings on Maleficent's dress.

Maleficent flashes her a rather delighted smile.

 _ **To Be Continued….**_

 _ **((There will most likely be major time jumps in the story from now on..))**_


	25. Grieving Widow

_**Forbidden**_

 _ **Grieving Widow**_

The King is dead.

The King is dead, and Snow White is devastated over the loss of her father.

The King is dead, and Regina offers her grieving stepdaughter a loving shoulder to cry on.

The King is dead, and Regina's face is a mask, heavy with grief over the loss of her husband.

The King is dead, and Regina dresses appropriately in black and declares a month's grieving in the kingdom.

The King is dead, and Regina summons half of the kingdom to attend the funeral.

The King is dead, and Regina appears to be distraught and even sheds a few tears here and there.

The King is dead, and Snow White has lost her appetite, and doesn't eat.

Regina does.

The King is dead, and Regina is _thrilled_.

Her bumbling husband, finally out of the picture. Now there's only one left.

Snow White.

Regina knows that she must be delicate in this next phase. As much as she just wants to kill the girl on the spot, she knows the can't do that. It's been a day since the King perished, and Snow's dead so soon after would only rouse suspicion. No. She'll have to thread carefully.

The King is dead, and Regina celebrates it with a glass of wine after sending for a doctor to Snow White. The little brat is in _shock_.

Regina chuckles to herself. The King is dead. _Dead_. The old fool trusted the wrong person. Manipulating the Genie had been fairly easy. Almost as easy as manipulating Gabriela back in the good old days. A few touches here and there. A lowered voice. Playing her part as the neglected queen whose husband didn't appreciate or care for her.

And once she had brought out the Agrabahn Vipers, the King's fate had been sealed. The Genie had acted exactly as expected and offered to kill the King, so he and Regina could be together.

Regina chuckles again. It had almost been _too_ easy. Her only regret is, that she couldn't be there to see the King die. To see the life, leave his body. That would have been a real treat.

The King is dead, and suddenly Regina is the most coveted widow in the realm. Already two days after the King's dead, the first letter arrives, offering Regina her condolences. But Regina _is_ capable of reading between the lines. This letter is not all about condolences. It's about King Zacharia, trying to weasel his way into her bed.

Regina burns the letter, but they keep coming. The next letter she receives is from King George. She scoffs. King _George_. Another old man. He is far more direct than King Zacharia, talks about how it would strengthen the kingdom if they were to marry.

Regina burns that letter too.

The next letter in line is from young King Nicholas. He's nineteen and recently crowned. Regina and King Leopold met him once at a ball, and Regina has to laugh when she reads his letter. He is certainly very bold and _very_ direct. And he certainly makes no attempt at hiding exactly what he wants from a marriage to Regina.

A male heir.

A male heir to rule the kingdom when he can't do it anymore, because surely King Leopold's daughter isn't capable of ruling a kingdom?

Regina laughs. They agree on that. Snow White _isn't_ capable of ruling a kingdom, but there will be no male heir either.

Regina tears the letter to shreds and then she throws it into the fire. She will bear no male heirs for _anyone_ , and she will not re-marry either.

She will _rule_. She will make them _kneel_.

"Not interested in marrying a young prince, dearie?"

Regina scoffs as she spins around. "Vultures. My husband's corpse is barely cold." She says mockingly, and Rumplestiltskin giggles.

"Well, congratulations dearie. Manipulating the Genie was… inspired."

"Thank you," Regina says and feels genuinely proud for a second. It's not often the Dark One praises her.

Rumplestiltskin waggles a scaly finger in front of her. "But surely, you're not thinking of resting now, are you?"

"Absolutely not," Regina answers silkily. "Snow White is still alive. My work has barely started."

"Excellent," Rumplestiltskin giggles. "That's the spirit."

Regina flashes him a rather chilling grin. Having the king out of the way is like having a physical weight removed from her shoulder. Now it's just Snow White. And that little bitch will pay for what she did. Oh, there are _so_ many ways she could end Snow White's life.

Rumplestiltskin suddenly transport so he's right in front of her. He flashes her a crooked smile and brushes his long fingers over her cheek. "I can already _see_ your brain working, dearie."

"Well, Snow White's death has to just as _inspired_ as the king's," Regina drawls and Rumplestiltskin flashes his rotting teeth in a smile. He dusts his longer fingers over her cheek, a habit he has developed lately, and Regina finds it both equally amusing and a little sad.

Perhaps its not only the noble kings who dreams of weaseling their way into the royal bed.

"Perhaps you should leave so I can… _think_." Regina says coldly and raises an eyebrow as the imp takes a step closer to her, ankles his face in line with her neck and inhales deeply.

"But of course, _Your Majesty_ ," he mocks and leans in, inhaling her scent again before he disappears in a cloud of red smoke.

Regina scoffs as she's left alone. That imp is delusional if he thinks… No. The mere thought is ridiculous.

Then there's a knock on her door and Regina spins around, irritated. Never a moments peace. "Yes?!"

Johanna, the elderly nursemaid curtseys and steps in: "Your Majesty, Snow White is asking for you."

Regina sends the nursemaid away and scoffs as she leaves her bedchambers. _Snow White_. Again.

Once again, she'll play her role. Once again, she'll be Snow's shoulder to cry on. But not for much longer now.

It takes a while to calm Snow, and Regina could have murdered the girl on the spot. But instead she listens to the girl's endless rambling about her beloved father, and even sits with her until she's calm enough to sleep. Then Regina returns to her own chambers. _Now_ she'll have that second glass of wine. _Now_ she'll celebrate her victory in private.

Or will she?

Regina pauses in her bedchambers with the wine glass in her hand. She hears the faint sound of crows, and suddenly, she feels inspired.

Snow White's fate can wait one more night.

It's been a while since she last saw Maleficent, and no one ever questions the motives of a grieving widow, so why not pay her good friend a visit? It's been a while.

Regina waves her hand and transport herself straight into the Forbidden Fortress.

Maleficent looks up from her lounging position in the window sill. She often sits there and looks out over the Dark Forest. Regina isn't sure why. Maybe it has something to do with her dragon instincts, the feeling of being above everyone else or something like that.

"Regina." Maleficent says pleasantly. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Regina shrugs lightly. "It's been a while since we last spoke, so I figured I would drop by and visit my old friend. But perhaps you're too busy?" She's almost sneering at that. Maleficent looks everything but busy.

"I happen to be un-occupied at the moment," Maleficent drawls and raises an eyebrow.

"Excellent." Regina says and helps herself to a glass of Maleficent's sweet-tasting wine. She eagerly licks her lips after the first taste.

"I suppose my sympathy is in order," Mal continues, and Regina stiffens momentarily when she appears right behind her.

"Whatever makes you say that?" Regina answers and takes another sip of the wine.

"I heard news of the king's… passing." Mal says and takes the glass from Regina and brings it to her own lips.

"Oh yes," Regina says gleefully. "It's truly a tragic day."

"And yet you appear to be quite unaffected."

"One could say I've made my peace with being a widower," Regina smirks and wrenches the glass out of Maleficent's hand and takes a sip of the wine.

"I suppose this is where I offer you my condolences?"

"You could do that," Regina nods and waves her hand, making the wine glass disappear. " _Or_ …" she takes a step closer to Maleficent and twirls one of her golden locks. "You could offer to console a grieving widower…"

"Oh, so _that's_ what you're here for," Maleficent says. "How _predicable_..."

Regina smiles completely unaffected by that little stab. "Oh, it was merely a suggestion, dear. I'll have you know, there are _plenty_ of other people who wants to console me."

"Is that so?" Maleficent says and narrows her eyes.

"Mhmm," Regina says and counts on her fingers. "King Zacharia, King George, and newly crowned King Nicholas. He's nineteen, would you believe? So _young_ and _handsome_. I'm _sure_ he and I could have _quite_ a bit of fun together…"

Maleficent sneers and her finger squeezes around Regina's wrist.

"I think even the Dark One was interested in consoling me," Regina continues ruthlessly. "The _Dark One_ , would you believe? I mean…"

It works as intended. Maleficent grasps her chin and kisses her roughly.

Regina revels in her "triumph" and she sniggers as Maleficent's tongue darts out and fights to get access to Regina's mouth.

But Regina has other plans. She breaks the kiss with a _pop_ , and sinks her teeth into Maleficent's exposed neck.

"Careful, darling." Maleficent hisses and yanks Regina's head up. "Wasn't the good king bitten in the neck by a couple of Agrabahn Vipers?"

"Was he?" Regina giggles. "How _interesting_. Have you been spying on me again?"

"Perhaps," Maleficent drawls and opens the first three buttons in Regina's dress, exposing her chest even more. "Your little scheme with the Genie was quite…"

"Inspired?" Regina suggests sweetly. "I'm _so_ happy you approve of my methods, Mal." She stretches her hands out and grabs a fistful of the bodice on Maleficent's dress. She ignores Maleficent's warning look and rips the material, exposing Maleficent's tight corset and the top of her chest.

"I didn't approve of _that_ ," Maleficent sneers and grasps Regina's chin. "I should take you over my knee for that."

Regina chuckles darkly. Maleficent's threats are old news. "Or you could just _fuck_ me instead."

Maleficent growls as she grips Regina's wrist and drags her with her into her bedchambers. She doesn't even close the door. She simply waves her hand, sending Regina flying head first onto the bed.

Regina doesn't even yelp when she lands roughly on the bed, a mess of skirts and tangled locks. She doesn't even get the chance to turn around to lie on her front before Maleficent is hovering above her and prevents her from moving by pressing a firm knee into her lower back.

"What's next, _dragon_?" Regina challenges and looks over her shoulder to glance at Maleficent. The sorceress sneers again and Regina hears a tearing sound. She doesn't even have to look to know that Maleficent just ripped through her dress and layers of underskirts, leaving Regina's thighs and backside exposed.

"You want to play _rough_ , little queen?" Maleficent asks silkily and squeezes the back of Regina's thighs firmly.

"Don't… Call me… That," Regina hisses and squirms.

"Little queen." Maleficent mocks and runs a skilled finger up and down Regina's backside.

"Let me guess... This is the part where you swat me, right?" Regina drawls.

 _Smack_.

"Hm. I was right. _So_ predictable," Regina scoffs. "I think you've lost your touch, my de…" she cuts herself off abruptly and moans when Maleficent suddenly yanks her underwear down and plunges two fingers inside her. It's almost painful, but the pleasure is easily overshadowing the pain. She's wet, of course is. Has been since she stepped inside the Forbidden Fortress.

"Is _this_ too predictable for you, _darling_?" Maleficent asks as she starts moving her fingers within Regina.

"I'm thinking you could do _so_ much better than this," Regina pants and moans again when Maleficent picks up the pace and starts thrusting hard and fast.

Regina wiggles a little, spreads her legs for better access and grabs on to the headboard for support.

"Not so _predicable_ now is it, little queen?" Mal purrs as she slides a third finger into Regina and thrusts so hard, Regina screams out in both pain and pleasure. This is absolutely _perfect_. Maleficent is fucking her _exactly_ like Regina wants right now.

"I expect you to be on your knees after this," Maleficent states matter of factly with a particular skillful flick of her wrist.

"Queens… Doesn't…. Kneel... For… Anyone." Regina half moans.

 _Smack_. She's reward with yet another hard spank to her bottom.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll make an exception for me, darling," Maleficent husks and slows her movements down. "Or do you want me to stop entirely?"

"N-no," Regina pants. "D-don't stop!"

"Will you be a good girl and be on your knees for me then?" Maleficent asks and picks up the pace again.

Regina groans and tightens the grip on the headboard.

 _Smack_. _Smack_.

Regina hisses.

" _Will_ you?" Maleficent asks silkily. "Or do you not want to come?"

"I… _Fine_ ," Regina grits out. She supposes she _could_ kneel for Maleficent. But only because it's been a while since the last time.

"Good girl," Maleficent purrs, and Regina moans loudly as she picks up the pace again. "That wasn't so hard now was it, Your Majesty?"

Regina doesn't even bother answering. She's close. _So_ close. She just needs. She needs….

Maleficent gives her a particular hard thrust that sends Regina moaning over the edge. She will definitely be feeling this tomorrow. Her core will positively _ache_ tomorrow. Good.

Maleficent grips her thigh and effortlessly flips her over. Regina looks up at her as the blonde slides the ruined dress of her body and unlaces her corset.

"Now on your knees, little queen." Maleficent purrs and gone is the rough treatment when she grasps Regina's upper arm and lifts her into a sitting position.

Regina rises to stand on her still weak legs. Her knees trembles annoyingly under her, and Maleficent smirks. "Do you need a moment, darling?"

" _No_." Regina bites and pushes Maleficent into a sitting position on the bed. Instead of using her hands, she flicks her wrist and makes Maleficent's panties disappear.

"Are you _certain_? You look like you could use a minute," Maleficent drawls.

"Shut up." Regina sneers and drops to her knees in front of Maleficent. She feels a little satisfied when she hears Maleficent inhale sharply.

 _Well, if she isn't pleased to see the queen_ … Regina crawls in between Maleficent's spread legs and lets her tongue explore swollen and slick folds.

Maleficent moans, and a second later Regina feels her fingers tangle into her hair and yank just a little.

Regina would smirk if she could. So she _is_ pleased to see the queen. Excellent. The brunette continues to use the flat of her tongue on Maleficent's clit, and the responses she gets is every bit worth it. Maleficent is moaning and tugging at Regina's dark locks.

She could continue to do this. She could keep this up. Maleficent would come fairly easy from this, but Regina finds that to be awfully boring. Why not have a bit of fun now that she's down here anyway? She abandons Mal's clit and angles her tongue so its lined up with Maleficent's entrance.

" _Yes_ , darling!" Maleficent hisses and her thighs trembles on either side of Regina's head.

Regina plunges her tongue inside and Maleficent's grip on her hair becomes painfully tight. Good. She swiftly moves her tongue, almost withdrawing it, and then plunging it right back inside Maleficent's tight, wet heat. She's wet, _so_ wet. Regina can feel her arousal drip down her thighs, and she reminds herself to lick Maleficent clean once the dragon has had her release.

She doesn't have to wait that long for that release. Maleficent suddenly throws her head back and cries out. Regina's tongue and chin gets covered in the result of her pleasure, and Regina keeps the promise to herself and gingerly licks Maleficent's sex and thighs clean. And she _does_ enjoy the salty taste on her tongue.

Maleficent grabs the back of her neck and yanks her up so they're in eye level. She locks her fingers in Regina's hair, kisses her fiercely and positions Regina in her lap.

Regina returns the kiss and pushes Maleficent back against the mattress. Always the same. Always the same, fierce kiss after Regina has pleasured her. She suspects that it's the way Maleficent says _thank you_.

"Now what, darling?" Maleficent questions as she ends up lying on the mattress with Regina on top of her.

"I'm… not… done," Regina grits and starts grinding herself against Maleficent's thigh. She needs to come again. Being on her knees, pleasuring Maleficent always does that to her.

"Then by all means, let me help, my sweet," Maleficent says, waves her hand, making what's left of Regina's dress disappear and brings her smart fingers down for the second time.

Regina's second orgasm is hard and fast.

"So, the king is dead. Now what, darling?" Maleficent asks later, when they're both sated, contend and a mess of tangled, sweaty limbs.

"Well… Now my real work begins," Regina says and stretches her neck to look after the remains of her dress. She should be on her way. She never stays for long now. She has other things to attend to. She has a stepdaughter who is still alive and breathing. She needs to get back. This… this is just _dawdling_ on her behalf. She should be in the process of getting dressed and then leave.

She certainly shouldn't be lying here, in Maleficent's bed. And she _definitely_ _shouldn't_ let the dragon hold her like she's holding her right now. It's _weak_. It's unnecessary. She's sated. Maleficent is sated. Regina has no reason to stay any longer.

"How are you gonna do it? Kill your stepdaughter, I mean," Maleficent murmurs into her skin, and Regina wobbles in her decision about leaving.

"I'm considering several options," Regina half-cackles, only half distracted by the fact that Maleficent's arms are skill looped around her.

"Hmm, and once she's dead…" Maleficent husks and drops a kiss on Regina's naked shoulder. "You'll be free."

"Yes, then I'll be free." Regina echoes. But she's not entirely sure what Maleficent means with her statement.

Maleficent hums something incoherent into her skin, and then: "Don't leave just yet, darling."

"Convince me," Regina challenges bluntly.

Maleficent smirks at her, shifts slightly and wraps her smart mouth around Regina's nipple.

Regina gasps and arches her back. She supposes she could stay for a little while longer.

But only for a little while. After all, this is just… Just…. _Just_.

 _ **To Be Continued….**_


	26. Parting Ways

_**Forbidden**_

 _ **Parting Ways:**_

"Take him to my bedchambers!" Regina commands as she stuffs the Huntsman's heart away.

The Huntsman _failed_ in killing Snow White. Instead of obeying a simple command, he _let her go_. Seemingly, because he took _pity_ on her!

Pity. _Pity_. As if the little bitch deserves that!

The Huntsman failed in killing Snow White, but he isn't _entirely_ useless.

No, it would seem that his " _talents_ " lies elsewhere.

Regina sends her guards away and joins the Huntsman in her bedchambers. Up until now, men have been in short supply in her life, but Regina barely flinches as she kisses him roughly again. He responds to the kiss, of course he does. He has no other choice. His heart is safely stored away. He's entirely at _her_ mercy. Her pet.

She smirks at him. "What's the matter, Huntsman? Have you never kissed a woman before?"

The statement is ironic. She's making fun of his lack of experience with women, when _she's_ the one who has never kissed a man before.

"I have, Your Majesty." The Huntsman says, ordered to answer.

"How _fortunate_ ," she drawls haughtily. "Kiss me again. Like you _mean_ it."

He does, and Regina finds it to be surprisingly enjoyable. She orders him to lie down on the bed, and within seconds she's on top of him, straddling his waist. She won't allow _him_ to be above her. _She's_ the one in control. The one in charge.

She lifts her skirts and waves her hand to make her undergarments disappear. "Pleasure me," she says coldly and The Huntsman squirm, lowers a hand to tug at the laces on his pants.

"No." Regina says firmly and stops him, if not with her hands then with her voice. "Use your fingers, Huntsman. Let's see if they're capable of something else than killing. Or, _failing_ at killing." She practically spits the last part out as she adjusts herself on top of him.

The Huntsman says nothing as he lines two fingers up and slides them inside her.

Regina bites her lip. His fingers are thick. Fuller than what she's used to, but she abstains from _any_ comparisons. This _huntsman_ could prove to be useful. "pleasure me" she had said, and that's exactly what he's doing. His fingers twists and thumps inside her, and Regina finds it perfectly enjoyable.

"Faster!" she orders and grinds herself on his fingers.

He does her bidding, but his face is turned away from her, and Regina sneers as she grasps his chin. " _Look_ at me, Huntsman!"

He turns his head, looks directly into her eyes. Regina stares right back at him and sneers again. Is that spite in his eyes? Is he silently spiting her while she fucks herself on his fingers?

"Stop." She hisses and pushes his fingers away. She coldly orders him to remove his pants, and he does her bidding without questioning.

Regina smirks a little. Spite or not, he's erected and clearly has been for a while. She hitches her skirts up further and sinks down on him, thoroughly ignoring the burning pain of the unfamiliar stretch.

"Pleasure me," she orders again and bites the inside of her cheek when he starts moving within her. It still burns, and it feels like she's being teared apart from the inside, but she revels in it. The pain is _good_. The pain is soothing after the latest failure.

"Harder," she chokes out, and he immediately does her bidding and starts hitching his hips harder. He's stopped looking at her, but this time Regina lets it be. She's too focused on the intense mix of pleasure and pain.

The pleasure mounts inside her and she digs her fingernails into the soft flesh on his cheeks as she comes with a sharp cry.

She doesn't take a moment to catch her breath. She simply slides off him before he gets the chance to come within her. He went against a direct order. He _failed_ in killing Snow White. He doesn't deserve any kind of rewarding.

"Now leave my chambers, Huntsman," she snips as she pushes her skirts back down.

He rises from the bed and re-dresses himself quickly.

"But don't go too far," Regina adds as she almost gently brushes a fingertip over his sharp cheekbones. "I might want you again later."

"As you wish, Your Majesty," he says and disappears out of the door.

The second the door closes behind him, Regina lies back down on the bed and curls up. She's still hurting inside, but she firmly tells herself that it's only a matter of adjustment.

The Huntsman might have failed in murdering Snow White, but still… This is most convenient. He is _hers_ , and hers entirely. He will do whatever she demands of him, whether she wants his fingers or tongue or cock. She has full control over him, he won't go anywhere or put his own pleasure before hers.

He will always be right here whenever she wants him. Her _pet._ Her willing, handsome Huntsman. Here to please her in whatever way she wants him to.

Regina chuckles darkly to herself. This is _most_ convenient indeed.

She bids the Huntsman to come to her chambers quite frequently after that. This might not have played out the way she wanted it to, but now he's here, and only a fool wouldn't take advance of his… _skills_.

Their first "meeting" in her bedchambers sets the tone for his other visits. Him on the bed, ridded of whatever clothing Regina sees fitting, and her on top of him, fully dressed apart from her undergarments.

She never lets him touch her. Well, apart from how she _wants_ him to touch her, and she's also yet to take her clothes of for him. He doesn't _deserve_ to see her naked. He's unworthy. Perhaps after a few more "meetings" in her chambers, she'll let him see her. Once he has earned forgiveness for failing.

And while _he_ works on that, _she_ enjoys herself. He's quite good, perhaps even skilled. True, she has little to compare with, but she's fairly certain, that was he's doing would be considered _pleasurable_.

The frequent visits from the Huntsman brings her a little peace. He never fails to make her climax, to make her dig her nails into his chest as pleasure washes over her, but still, there's that nagging, empty feeling after she sends him away. She always feels oddly unsated after he leaves, even though she had climaxed moments before.

It's Snow White, she tells herself. It's because that little bitch is still alive and kicking somewhere out in the dark forest. Once she's gone, Regina _will_ be able to sleep peacefully.

A late evening, Regina is sitting in her bedchambers, nibbling on a grape from the bowl on her vanity table. That's all she's eating these days, and Daddy often "berates" her for it, but Regina simply sneers that she's not hungry.

She shifts restless on the stool and takes another grape from the bowl. She's feeling particularly annoyed tonight. Perhaps she should send for the Huntsman. Maybe that would take the edge of… things.

She purses her lips and brushes a hand over the tight, red velvet dress she's wearing tonight. Or maybe she should venture out in her carriage and look her "people" in the eyes and determine who of them is lying about Snow White's whereabouts.

Regina raises her hand to pop the grape into her mouth, but it disappears instead, and she's suddenly holding on to a deep red rose.

A red rose with _thorns_ , that is. Regina hisses when it tears through the skin on her finger. She scoffs unimpressed as she heals the injury. She knows that signal, would recognize it anywhere, but she remains unenthusiastic. It's been ages since she last saw Maleficent, and she's not particularly interested in seeing her tonight.

"I thought you didn't mind a little pain," a soft, velvet voice says behind her.

Regina doesn't raise an eyebrow. Doesn't even turn around. "Maleficent." She acknowledges dully. A visit from her old friend isn't on her schedule tonight.

"Aren't you even gonna pretend you're happy to see me, darling?" Maleficent asks with feigned disappointment as she comes up behind Regina and rests her hands lightly on her shoulders.

Regina looks up for a moment. Maleficent looks her usual self, clad in a purple silk gown with a plunging neckline. Her golden hair is carelessly swept to the side.

"Alright," Regina says and humors the dragon for a moment. "What brings you to my bedchambers?"

"I'm _so_ glad you asked," Maleficent drawls. "You see, I was enjoying a glass of wine in my castle, when I suddenly came to think of one of my favorite wine-drinkers in this realm. It's been a while, hasn't it, darling?"

"I'm busy." Regina says flatly and takes another grape from the bowl.

"Doing _what_ , exactly?" Maleficent purrs and bends down. She brushes her lips over Regina's neck, and Regina stiffens momentarily when her teeth sinks into her soft flesh.

"Ah, so you _do_ still like that," Mal drawls. "Just checking."

"I think you should go," Regina says and stands from the stool. "I have other things to do. And I'm afraid _you're_ not one of them."

"But I'm guessing the _Huntsman_ is?" Maleficent hisses and is suddenly very much in Regina's face.

Regina simply laughs coldly in her face. "Oh, so _that's_ what drove the big bad dragon out of her lair, hmm? What's the matter, dear? Can't handle the fact that I've found someone more… suitable?"

"Suitable?" Maleficent echoes and raises an eyebrow.

"He's a _man_." Regina clarifies. "And as such, he's a better much for me, I'm sure you understand."

"Oh, a better match, is he?" Maleficent sneers. "How _passionate_ , my dear."

Regina's temper flares up at that little stab. "I have no need for your little… _visits_ anymore, Maleficent. You may go." She turns away from the dragon and grabs the hairbrush from the table.

"And you think you can just _discard_ of me that easily?" Maleficent says, and her voice is dangerously low.

Regina laughs again. "What did you imagine, dear? I don't recall ever promising you _anything_."

Maleficent remains silent, but Regina sees something in her eyes that makes her mock-gasp. "Oh, don't tell me that you're here to proclaim your feelings for me."

Maleficent still doesn't say anything, but Regina can see her blue eyes flicker ever so slightly.

"Oh god, you _care_ for me," Regina says and rolls her eyes. "I'm sorry, my dear, but that is the most pathetic thing I have ever heard. You've really fallen quite a-ways, Maleficent."

Maleficent's lips twists and her blue eyes gleams alarmingly.

But Regina really can't be bothered with this tonight. She has far more important things to do.

"Don't get me wrong, I would _love_ to hear about your delicate little feelings," she drawls and waves her hand mockingly. "But this is a bad time. Now leave before I _make_ you."

Regina never sees it coming. One minute she's standing calmly, brushing her hair, and the next minute, Maleficent's palm lands on her cheek and the brunette stumbles backwards. The slap takes her completely by surprise.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Regina screeches and brings her own palm up to the cheek Maleficent just slapped. "What the hell is the _matter_ with you?! Showing up unannounced and…" she doesn't get the chance to finish the sentence. Maleficent waves her hand and sends her flying backwards into the door. She ends up with her back pressed against the door, restrained by whatever magic Maleficent is using.

And she doesn't get the chance to use a counter curse either. Maleficent is in front of her within seconds, and the dragon doesn't hesitate before she wraps a hand around Regina's throat.

Regina laughs mockingly until Maleficent's grip becomes too tight. "Is… that… the best… you can… do?" she rasps and doesn't even claw at Maleficent's hand.

Maleficent tightens her grip around her throat, and the room starts to go blurry around the edges. Perhaps the dragon is aiming to make her pass out.

"Go… On," she croaks and wheezes. " _Choke_ me. You… Want to. I can… Feel it. Go…On."

Maleficent's grip tightens and tightens, and Regina is sure she's gonna black out. But then, as suddenly as she started, Maleficent lets go of her throat, and Regina coughs and coughs and wheezes. The air burns in her lungs and she can't breathe the air fully into her lungs.

"What happened to that sweet girl who walked into my castle?" Maleficent hisses and looks like she's about to wring Regina's neck.

"She grew up!" Regina spats and rubs the sore spot on her neck. "She grew up and became a hell of a lot wiser!"

Maleficent raises her hand, but then lowers it again.

"What's the matter? I thought you were trying to _kill_ me," Regina challenges mockingly. "I just crushed your silly little feelings under my booth, didn't I? What's holding you back, dragon? Come on, just _do_ it. Don't be such a cowa…"

She's not allowed to finish this time either. Maleficent grabs her again, but this time she doesn't wrap her fingers around Regina's throat. Instead she kisses her. Fiercely, demanding and she shoves Regina back against the door, grips her wrists and pins them above her head.

Regina immediately starts struggling. How _dare_ Maleficent do this? How dare she show up like this and restrain her?!

But Maleficent keeps kissing her. Her tongue plunges Regina's mouth and Regina finds herself to be responding to the kiss. No matter how little she wants to. And eventually, Maleficent let's go of her wrists. Her hands roams all over Regina's body, and then- Regina's protests are silenced with a kiss- she rips the front of Regina's dress wide open and starts kneading her breasts harshly.

"Say I don't mean anything to you!" Maleficent growls as she flicks an already hard nipple between her fingers.

"You don't mean anything to me," Regina sneers and moans when Maleficent pinches her nipple harshly.

Maleficent growls again and squeezes Regina's breast again. Then she lowers her mouth and wraps her lips around a hard nipple.

"You don't mean anything to me!" Regina says again and arches her back. "You mean _nothing_ to me!"

Maleficent rises to her full height, grabs her by the waist and more or less _throws_ her on to the bed. Regina is fast in her reaction, but not fast enough. Maleficent straddles her waist and starts kneading her breasts again.

"You.. Mean… Nothing…" Regina says as she struggles to get on top of Maleficent. She _won't_ let the dragon have the upper hand.

But Maleficent grips her shoulders, forces her to lie back on the bed. Then she pushes Regina's dress up and exposes her thighs.

"This won't- _ahh_!-" Regina moans as Maleficent plants featherlight kisses all over her inner thighs. "This won't change anything, do you hear me?!"

Maybe Maleficent doesn't. Or maybe she just chooses to ignore her. Either way, she slips a hand inside her panties and dips a finger in her wetness.

Regina moans and her fingers curls around the headboard.

"So I don't _mean anything to you_?" Maleficent snarls and waves her now glistening finger in Regina's face.

"No. You don't." Regina hisses.

That only seems to make Maleficent even more determined, and Regina gasps when the blonde yanks her panties down and starts plunging her tongue mercilessly into her.

"Nothing," Regina half-laughs, half moans, as her head collides with the headboard again and again. "You mean _nothing_. Absolutely _nothing_."

Maleficent quickens her pace and brings two fingers down to circle Regina's swollen nub.

"Nothing, nothing, nothing, _nothing_!" Regina chants to aggravate Maleficent further.

But when she comes, it's still with Maleficent's name on her lips and her face imprinted into her mind. And once she's sated, she willingly returns the favor, so to speak. Because this is the last time this will happen. This is her way of ending things.

Once Maleficent is spent and lies panting next to her, Regina slips out of bed, shrugs on a robe and turns to the dragon.

"Leave." She says coldly.

Maleficent doesn't move an inch.

"I said leave," Regina snaps. "I don't want you to come back again, do you hear me? We're through."

Maleficent gracefully rises from the bed and puts her dress back on. "If that's what you want… darling."

"Don't call me that," Regina says harshly. "Now get out of here."

Maleficent does what Regina asks, and as soon as the door closes behind her, Regina sits down heavily on the bed. Her cheeks are wet, and it takes a while before she realizes that she's crying for Maleficent, and for what can never be….

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	27. Parting Ways part II

_**((Okay, so this chapter is slightly shorter.. We could call it a little interlude before the events continues..))**_

 _ **Forbidden**_

 _ **Parting Ways part II:**_

"Love is weakness, Maleficent. I thought you knew that," Regina purrs as she bends down and takes what she came for. The dark curse.

"If you're here to kill me, kill me!" Maleficent sneers.

Regina pauses, and her eyebrows raises. "Why would I do that? You're my only friend."

Maleficent gives her a look. A look that so suggests that she doesn't like that label. But instead of delving into that, she starts talking about how Regina will feel a void inside her forever if she casts that curse.

"So be it," Regina says calmly and turns her back on her old friend. She can hear Maleficent struggling with the bindings that are roped tightly around her, but Regina doesn't take pity on her. Not this time. Instead she simply waves her hand and transport back to her own castle.

If only Maleficent hadn't been so _difficult_. If only she had just handed the curse over. _She_ was the one who pushed Regina to fight her. _She_ was the one who insisted upon fighting.

Regina had hoped that fighting wouldn't be necessary. She had considered a number of things to offer Maleficent in exchange of the curse. Including herself. She could have done that. She could have slept with Maleficent one last time. And that would have been an excellent way for Maleficent to prove that she was still on Regina's side.

But of course, Maleficent had to be _difficult_. Of course, she had been hostile from the moment Regina had sat foot in her castle. There had been wine, but Regina had been forced to take it herself. Maleficent hadn't served it for her. There had been no wine and sweet words today. And there had certainly not been any part of the old Maleficent left. Instead, Regina had found a pathetic excuse for a powerful sorceress who spent time doting on her _pet_.

A _pet_. She had replaced Regina with a _pet_.

If _that_ wasn't pathetic.

Maleficent had clearly given up. Resigned. Settled for a lonesome life with her pet unicorn.

Regina scoffs. She found that to be strangely upsetting, especially because she knew what Maleficent really was capable of.

But it would appear, that woman was gone. There was only a shadow left.

A shadow, who had been less than pleased to see Regina. Unbelievable. She should have been proud instead. Proud of this new and stronger and more powerful version of Regina.

But clearly, that wretched thing had a preference for helpless young women. Helpless young women she could mold and shape and bent to her will.

Regina scoffs again. That's exactly why the thing between her and Maleficent had ended. Because Regina refused to submit to the dragon anymore. And clearly, Maleficent couldn't handle that.

Regina takes a sip of the glass of wine she just poured for herself. A pity, really. Their last encounter could have been pleasurable for both of them. Instead Maleficent had chosen to be petulant. To be _difficult_. Was she really still upset about how Regina had laughed in her face? Now _that_ was ridiculous. Even more ridiculous that the silly idea that had grown in Maleficent's mind. That she should _care_ for Regina.

Ridiculous. Complete madness. What might have been between her and Regina had been sex and nothing more. Just that. To claim that there were actual _feelings_ involved was just something Maleficent had come up with to try and distract Regina.

Yes. A distraction. She had tried to turn Regina's attention elsewhere. She had tried to tear her away from her revenge.

 _And for that she will pay_ , Regina thinks bitterly to herself. To think that her old friend would turn against her like this. She hadn't foreseen it, but alas, if _that_ was how Maleficent saw things, so be it.

Regina _had_ planned on being merciful to her. She _had_ planned on giving Maleficent a relatively comfortable life, but now… Now her punishment would be equally as bad as Snow White and her charming prince.

No one, _no one_ who went against Regina deserved to be comfortable. No. Regina didn't owe Maleficent _anything_.

Regina waves a hand over her mirror and steals a glimpse at the Forbidden Fortress. Maleficent has indeed managed to free herself from the ties that binds her, and now the blonde is crouching down in front of her unicorn pet, patting its head.

Regina sneers. How pathetic. How _utterly_ pathetic. To think that _this_ was the same woman who had once spread fear and let her dragon form terrorize people.

To think that this was the same woman who had taught Regina magic. To think that Maleficent had been _reduced_ to this.

The door to Regina's bedchambers opens, and Regina barely gets the chance to make the image of Maleficent disappear from the mirror before her father steps inside.

"Was that really necessary, my dear?" he asks.

"Was _what_ really necessary, daddy?" Regina says and removes the shimmering headpiece from her hair. She shakes her head a few times, sending her dark hair tumbling down her back. Then she hands daddy a hairbrush and sits down in front of the vanity.

"Your… Your treatment of the dragon sorceress," Henry says quietly and starts brushing Regina's hair.

Regina narrows her eyes as she looks at her father in the mirror. "And why would _you_ care how I treat her?"

Henry remains quiet for a while and keeps his eyes fixated on Regina's hair as he brushes through the dark curls. "You may not like me saying it, my dear. But I know the two of you were… close once."

Regina sneers again. She's a little taken aback over how much daddy seems to know about what happened long ago, but what does his words means know? The things that happened between her and Maleficent is a part of the past. A past, Regina will soon be rid of. A past she'll soon lay to rest in favor of a new life.

"That was a long time ago," she growls. "And in the end, she turned out to be a false friend just like everyone else I've crossed paths with. So I don't understand why you're bringing this up now, daddy."

"I meant no harm, my dear," Henry says quickly. "I merely thought..."

"Well, you thought _wrong_!" Regina snaps. "And we're not discussing this further, do you hear me?!"

"Yes, Your Majesty," the valet says quietly, and Regina immediately feels a pang of guilt for snapping at him, but at the same time she knows, that snapping was the right thing to do in this situation.

Because despite what daddy is insinuating, Maleficent _means_ nothing to her. Yes, she had been useful when Regina had needed her, but the moment Regina became stronger than her, Maleficent had suddenly tried to "proclaim her feelings". To _distract_ her.

What had the dragon expected? That Regina would welcome her with open arms? Ridiculous. There's only room for one person in Regina's heart. Daniel.

Maleficent should have been smart enough to know that.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	28. Accept

_**((Let's fast forward in time a little. This takes place after Emma kisses Henry and breaks the first curse. Again, this is just a short chapter, an interlude before we fast forward to season 4B))**_

 _ **Forbidden**_

 _ **Accept:**_

 _ **T**_ he dust has barely settled, Regina notes as she steps into the hidden basement.

The raw stone walls were still echoing after the Saviors battle with the dragon, and Regina can still smell a hint of flames and ash.

This is the place where miss Swa- the _Savior_ battled Maleficent in dragon form. The place where she drove a sword into her chest.

Regina knows that it was the only thing they could do. The only way to save Henry. She _knows_ that, and yet here she is, _feeling_ things. _Remembering_ things that she thought were long forgotten.

She remembers the first smile, the first kiss, the first hesitant touch. Their first night together. Long hours spent in front of Maleficent's fireplace.

And now Maleficent is dead.

Dead and gone…

And despite everything, she didn't deserve _this_.

Regina sighs a little. She hadn't expected this. She hadn't expected that she would feel this strongly about it. _She_ did this to Maleficent, _she_ pointed miss Swan to Maleficent. _She_ condemned Maleficent to this. _She_ took away Maleficent's human form and cursed her into being a dragon for twenty-eight years. It was the right thing to do, right? _Right_?

If it had been the right thing to do, she would probably not be down here, mourning her old friend. Mourning the first person who showed her kindness when nobody else did.

Maybe she's not a soulless monster after all.

Regina brings her fingertips to her cheeks. They're wet. Her cheeks are wet. Not only is she mourning Maleficent, she's _crying_ for her too.

What would Maleficent make of _that_? She would probably call Regina a stupid little girl.

Regina almost laughs at that. She's probably insane for being down here. Half of town, with Snow White, prince Charming and their valiant daughter in front row is coming for her.

Her own son despises her. Hates her for what and who she is with every fiber of his being. He's forgotten all about her. And with the Savior for his mother, and Snow White and prince _Charming_ for his grandparents, why shouldn't he?

He's got plenty of family now. He wants nothing to do with _her_.

Half of the town is out for her head. She's taking a stupid risk at being down here. She should probably run for the hills.

Instead she bends down and touches what's left of Maleficent. Nothing but dust and ash.

Regina knows that it was the only way to save Henry, she _knows_ that. But still, something is nagging her. And what's nagging her, is that Rumplestiltskin stole the True Love potion before they could use it on Henry.

If only they had used this on Henry. That might softened the blow a little.

But that imp stole it. Maleficent died for _Rumplestiltskin_.

"I'm sorry," Regina mutters half-heartedly to the silent basement. It's the best she can do, the _only_ thing she can do. And despite everything, she _never_ wished death upon Maleficent.

If she did, she would have killed Maleficent herself all those years ago.

But she didn't.

Something held her back.

Something, Regina doesn't dare labelling. Because what good would that do _now_?

Maleficent is dead.

"I'm sorry," she whispers again, and this time, it's not half-heartedly. It's sincere. "I'm sorry", may sound a bit dry, but what else can she say in this situation?

"Hello? Is someone down here?"

Regina freezes momentarily at the sound of a second person, but she quickly recovers and steps back inside the shadow where no one can see her.

The second person turns out to be David Nolan. No, _prince_ David. _Prince Charming_.

Regina's temper flares up when she sees him. What is that _idiot_ doing down here? Now she can't even _mourn_ in peace without being disturbed.

She remains silent as the idiot prince roams around in the basement, but she quietly grinds her teeth. He has no business being down here. What is he even _doing_?

Looking for his sword, it would seem. Miss _Swan_ apparently left it behind when she was down here. Regina sees him pick the damn thing up and then he stalls. He's looking at the ground, and Regina knows exactly what he's looking at. The boot print she left in the ash.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" he says again and lifts the sword.

Regina almost scoffs. And what if someone far more innocent than her had been down here? Was his intention to jab whoever with his sword?

Once a shepherd, always a shepherd. As delicate as a blunt instrument.

She keeps her mouth shut and waits until prince idiotic seems convinced that he's alone down here and lowers the sword. Then he leaves the basement.

Regina steps out of the shadows. She might as well leave too. She has no choice but to stay isolated in her house. That's her life now. Alone. Henry made it pretty clear that he wants nothing to do with her anymore. He prefers his birth mother. The Savior over The Evil Queen. Seems reasonable enough.

The past ten years where Regina raised and loved him means nothing to him. Every hug, every "I love you, mommy" completely swept aside the minute miss Swan made her entrance in Storybrooke.

Regina sighs softly and casts one last glance at the dust laying scattered around the basement floor. She closes her eyes and inhales the smell of ash. It reminds her of something. It reminds her of long nights spent in front of smoldering flames in a fireplace. It reminds her of purple sheets. Of blue eyes and pale lips curled up in a smile. It reminds her of a silky voice saying "darling" every now and then.

She scoffs again. What, now she's getting sentimental? That's just ridiculous. Stupid. She hasn't thought of Maleficent in _years_.

 _Stop being such an idiot_ , she scolds herself. Her "thing" with Maleficent has been dead and buried for years. There's absolutely no point in getting sentimental _now_.

So she spins around on her heels, walks away from the piles of dust. She's gonna leave now. There's no reason to stay here. She better leave in case prince stupidity somehow saw a glimpse of her and is sending for the cavalry.

Regina turns around for a second. "Goodbye, Maleficent." She murmurs quietly and can almost hear Maleficent's drawling response. " _If that's what you want, darling_."

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	29. Blast from the Past

_**Forbidden**_

 _ **Blast from the past:**_

" It's not just Cruella and Ursula who are here. Maleficent is back too."

Regina is careful to keep her face completely neutral as she asks Snow and Charming: "Are you sure?"

"Positive. Saw it with my own eyes," David says. "They used our blood to revive…"

Regina zones out, and the words thunders in her head. Maleficent is back. _Maleficent_ _is back_. **MALEFICENT IS BACK**.

Her first silly impulse is relief. Maleficent is alive.

Her next impulse is horror. Maleficent is ALIVE. And she's right here in Storybrooke.

The question is why. _Why_ did they revive Maleficent? What's she here for?

 _Me, probably_. Now there's a fair assumption. Maleficent is most likely pissed at her, and with good reason too. Regina was the one who had her killed.

But Regina knows that that's just the tip of the iceberg. Maleficent has several _other_ reasons to be out for her head. Regina wouldn't blame Mal for wanting to kill her.

Incredible. First the heartbreak over sending Robin over the town line to save Marian, and now _this_.

Regina silently wonders how much a human can take before he or she goes completely bonkers. This is the last thing she needs. An ex- _something_ roaming around in Storybrooke, blood thirsty and longing for revenge on her.

 _Bring on the insanity_. Six weeks. Six weeks of absolute peace. That's what the citizens of Storybrooke got this time before the next disaster arrives.

Regina just didn't count on the next disaster being a personal one.

A personal disaster she considered gone.

She should have known that her little "involvement" with Maleficent sooner or later would come back to bite her in the ass.

 _Damnit._

Sometimes the universe really is an ironic bitch. One steps over the town line and leaves for good, and another one re-emerges from the dead.

Ironic indeed.

"Regina? Did you hear me?"

Regina snaps out of it and forces her attention back to Snow in front of her. "Sorry. You lost me for a second there. Do you mind repeating what you said?"

"I was just asking what we're gonna do with the newly arrived?" Snow repeats.

"Well, that depends entirely on what they're here for," Regina mutters half-heartedly, and it occurs to her, that Snow and David shoots each other worried glances, but she doesn't think further about it.

"If they're here to turn over a new leaf, then I don't see the problem. Everyone deserves a second chance, but I have a hunch that Cruella and Ursula have some sort of hidden agenda," Regina continues and rises from her chair. The paperwork on her desk long forgotten.

"And Maleficent?" David continues and shares another glance with Snow. "What do you suppose Maleficent is here for?"

 _A good question indeed_. _Why_ _did_ _they bring Maleficent back from the ashes? Was that really necessary?_

"I suppose there's only one way to find out," Regina says and smiles humorlessly. "I'll have to whip out the Evil Queen again."

"Meaning what, exactly?" Snow asks, and her eyebrow shoots up in concern.

"Meaning it's time for a little undercover work," Regina says and clasps her hands. God, this is laughable. The Snow Queen is barely gone before the next line of villains arrive. And _Maleficent_ of all people. And what _if_ Maleficent is here for her? Is Regina supposed to what, kill her?

She isn't sure she'll even be able to do that. She isn't sure she _wants_ to.

"Cruella and Ursula are something we're able to handle," David says. "But Maleficent happens to be a _dragon_. If she decides to run amok…"

"Don't worry. I'll take care of Maleficent." Regina says flatly and very nearly scoffs when she hears the words come out of her mouth. _That definitely sounded wrong_.

"But didn't you two have some sort of heated argument?" Snow asks. "I mean, I've read in the storybook that you two battled and you ended up taking the Dark Curse from her."

 _If only that was all_. "Yes, well, let's just assume she has forgotten about that." Regina says and ushers the two Charmings out of her office. If she's gonna pretend to be one of "the bad guys", she can't be seen with Snow White and Prince Charming. That wouldn't look good.

As soon as the door is closed, and she can hear their footsteps retreat, Regina groans and palms her forehead. What an absolute _farce_. She's vaguely aware that both Snow and David seems overly worried about having Maleficent being back from the ashes, but she also knows that her own concern is clouding theirs at the moment. Why is Maleficent suddenly hanging with Cruella with Ursula? She never mentioned them before, and there's something else too. How much does Cruella and Ursula know?

Is Maleficent so chummy with them that she told them everything?

Regina scoffs into her hands. Being worried about something as trivial as her _reputation_ shouldn't be at the top of her list right now, but rumors travels fucking fast in Storybrooke. And she really, _really_ doesn't need for the good citizens to find out that she once "mingled" with one of the most powerful sorceresses in the Enchanted Forest.

Not that she's ashamed or anything, but she can vividly imagine how it sounds to the people of Storybrooke. She's supposed to be redeemed.

The universe is really out for her.

She supposes it's suitable. She's still "paying her debt" for all the horrible things she did in the past. But this unexpected "blast from the past" is really something else.

Regina chuckles darkly. Maybe she's going insane. That wouldn't be the first time.

She supposes she'll have to confront Maleficent. And preferably, already tonight. She has to see for herself. That her old _friend_ really is back from the dead.

God, what a mess. What a _fucking_ mess.

If only there wasn't so much history between them. And of course, she remembers _everything_. For whatever sick reason, she remembers every kiss, every caress, every word they said to each other.

And obviously, Maleficent does to. Dragons never forget. She told Regina that a million times.

 _Good lord, why? Of all the people life could have thrown back in her face, why Maleficent_?

 _Because you're still paying your debt. You're still making things right with the people you've hurt in the past. And Maleficent happens to be one of them_.

She should have known better than to argue with herself. Because of course she's right. She _did_ hurt Maleficent. Badly. She threw away every touch and kiss, turned it into something ugly. She stomped on Maleficent's feelings, crushed them under her booth. And she did it while laughing in her face.

Yes, Maleficent has _plenty_ of reason to be coming for her. To be honest, Regina would be surprised if that _wasn't_ the reason as to why she's here.

Oh, how fast things change. One minute she thinks, she and Robin might actually have a future together, and the next she's dealing with _this_.

Her ex- _something_ back from the ashes.

Her ex- _something_ coming for her head.

Regina laughs again and stuffs the paperwork away in a drawer. It would seem she's done working for today. Amazing. Ten minutes ago, her biggest problem was too much paperwork and finding the Author. And now she's dealing with _this._

 _What a mess. What a gigantic mess._

She has no clue what she's gonna say to Maleficent tonight. She supposes, she'll have to improvise. Will Maleficent go for her throat right away?

 _It wouldn't be the first time she's gone for your throat_. Okay, that's quite enough of that. Now is _not_ the time to think about the "good old days".

Or perhaps she'll turn into a dragon and eat Regina in one piece. Clean and easy.

No. No, Maleficent is not one for "clean and easy". Regina knows that.

 _Well, isn't this grand_. One minute she's doing paperwork, and the next she's first in line to be eaten by a very angry dragon.

Unfortunately, going back in time and smooth things out isn't an option. Regina finally rises from her chair and walks out of the office. She would prefer the Chernabog any day over this. Bring it on. Rather a Chernabog than Maleficent.

Rather _anything_ else than Maleficent. Bring on the Snow Queen. Bring on the Wicked Witch. Those two would suffice too.

Anything else than Maleficent.

Regina sighs gravely as she walks out of the town hall and into the twilight. No matter what she says or does, this is gonna get ugly. She can feel it in her gut. This is gonna get messy and ugly.

God, she should have known that her past mistakes would come back and haunt her.

She doesn't need to think about where the "witches" are. There's only one place they could be. At Granny's.

Regina quickly flicks her wrist and replaces her "work" clothes with a leather skirt and a black shirt under her jacket. If she's gonna meet her fate, she might as well do it looking good. She takes a deep breath, and then she puts on her best "Evil Queen"-façade.

This is it. There's no turning back.

 _Let the games begin_.

She opens the door to Granny's Diner and steps inside.

 _ **To Be Continued?...**_


	30. Back from the Ashes

**Forbidden**

 **Back from the Ashes:**

 _Cruella, Ursula and Maleficent all look up when Regina steps inside. None of them look particularly impressed to see her._

 _Regina flashes them her best "Evil Queen"-smile and barely looks at Maleficent when she says: "So the rumors are true. You are back from the ashes."_

" _What are you doing here, Regina?" Maleficent retorts coldly._

" _Making it easier for you," Regina drawls. "If you wanna try to kill me… I'm right here."_

 _Cruella raises an eyebrow slightly, and Regina tries her best not to flinch when Maleficent suddenly vanishes from her spot and re-appears inches from her. That woman definitely has a habit of being very much in Regina's face all the time._

" _So that's why you think I'm back. To kill you." Maleficent sneers._

" _I trapped you underground for thirty years. And you're not big on forgiveness," Regina retorts plainly._

" _That's true, but what you did is nothing in the grand scheme. There are far worse crimes that must be answered for."_

 _Regina raises an eyebrow at that. What crimes?_

" _Careful, darling. She's thick as thieves with those heroes," Cruella interjects._

" _Not by choice," Regina snaps. "You know how much I wanted my revenge. But in this town, I had to play nice to survive. Alone. Watching them enjoy the happiness I was denied! If you're planning on destroying some of that happiness. I want in."_

" _You can't expect us to believe that," Ursula says, but she doesn't sound very certain._

" _Of course she doesn't. That's why she's here. She wants us to see she's still one of us," Maleficent says silkily and smirks a little._

" _I am," Regina bites and never lower her gaze from Maleficent's._

" _Then let's find out," Maleficent suggests and breaks eye contact for a second as she turns around and takes one of the shot glasses placed on the table._

 _She hands it to Regina and her eyes bores into Regina's again as she asks: "Are you still a bad girl, Regina?"_

 _Bad girl. What the hell is that supposed to mean? She could have said so many other things. "Are you still one of us, Regina?," "are you still a villain, Regina?". But she didn't. Of all the things she could have said, she choose "bad girl", a phrase, that to put it lightly have double meaning. Regina tries her best not to remember_ _anything_ _as she takes the shot glass from Maleficent, empties it and then crushes it with her bare hand. "The worst," she proclaims and congratulates herself on how steady her voice sounds._

That was several hours ago. And to "prove herself" Regina had to participate in what quickly turned out to be a regular "drinking competition". And that drinking competition had included trashing one of the police cars.

Regina reminds herself to apologize to David later.

But right now….

She groans as she closes the door to the mansion and kicks her shoes off. She's meeting up with Snow and David in a few hours, and thank goodness she has a few hours to "stew" in.

She's definitely drunk. As in very, _very_ drunk. It probably wouldn't benefit anyone of the involved parties if she met Snow and David like _this_.

Regina plops down on her couch and palms her forehead. Her mind and body are spinning from the alcohol. She can't remember the last time she became this drunk, this fast.

She scoffs quietly. Let in to their little "group" and "far worse crimes that must be answered for" or not, Maleficent is still pissed at her. The blonde has never been very good at hiding her emotions, and Regina can almost _smell_ the anger that radiates from her.

At least Cruella and Ursula had been with them, and Maleficent had seemed rather determined to keep her mouth shut in front of them.

Regina chuckles darkly. If she can do this… If she can pull this off…

If she can infiltrate "the Queens of Darkness", find out what their plan is, search for the Author, avoid getting killed by a _very_ angry dragon, _and_ nurse her broken heart in her spare time, she deserves a fucking medal.

A fucking medal _and_ a drink.

Or possibly a _very_ long holiday.

Good gracious, _why_ is her life so complicated all the time? First her catastrophic relationship with Robin and now a very pissed of dragon ex- _something_ alive and kicking and properly looking for an opportunity to get her alone so she can murder her.

Regina sinks down in the couch until her head is resting on her knees. It's very tempting to have another drink, the whiskey is right there in the cabinet, but she knows she can't do that. She's supposed to meet with Snow and David in a couple of hours. It would be a wise idea to be just a bit sober for that occasion.

Regina sighs for the millionth time that night. Her head is already starting to hurt. What did she even find out?

 _That Maleficent wants to wring my neck_.

Yes, okay. That was what was to be expected, but apart from that?

 _That Maleficent is taking "if looks could kill" to a whole new level_?

Regina snaps her head back up and frowns (a movement that hurts her head), _Maleficent this_ , _Maleficent that_. What is she, twenty years old? No, Maleficent is a part of her past.

But past or not, she still owes her an apology. And one of the very, _very_ big ones too, that is.

The question is _how_ exactly she's gonna do that. Cruella and Ursula were clinging to them like glue, and Maleficent didn't seem awfully keen on talking to Regina.

 _And who can blame her_?

Regina scoffs and leans her head back against the couch. She can already feel the hangovers set in, and the sound of her phone buzzing somewhere in her pocket is definitely too loud.

She scrabbles to find the damn thing and groans quietly when she sees the text. It's Snow White. Again. When did they even start texting each other? Either way, her former stepdaughter is worried and has actually texted her repeatedly for the past hour. Regina just failed to notice it.

Regina neglects to text her back. They'll see each other in a few hours, and Regina is in no state to text her back right now.

She _could_ catch up on some sleep. She has time to sleep for a while before she once again ventures out, but she decides that sleep is for the weak. Her head is spinning from the alcohol, and her mind seems to have a life of its own.

" _Are you still a bad girl, Regina_?"

Her dark eyes snaps open immediately. _And where the hell did_ _that_ _come from_?! Maleficent's voice _definitely_ has no business in her head.

She's drunk. That's what she is. Drunk and nothing more.

Regina stands from the couch and stumbles into the kitchen. There she pours herself a very large glass of water, and then she flicks her wrist and makes a cup of coffee appear in front of her. She eagerly takes the first gulp and ignores the burning sensation in her throat. She needs to sober up, and she needs to sober up fast.

" _Are you still a bad girl, Regina_?"

Regina closes her eyes and sighs exasperated. So her drunk self is weak when it comes to Maleficent.

So her drunk self is _still_ weak when it comes to Maleficent.

Wonderful. Absolutely fucking perfect.

She should have known that this "infiltration" wouldn't just be a piece of cake.

She _had_ expected this to be tricky, but not like _this_. Not because of _this_. Not because her silly, intoxicated brain suddenly is flooded with memories that have been buried so deep within her for so long.

No, it's the past. It's all a part of her past.

And what if her past suddenly decides to rise from the dead?

 _Then you have a problem_.

Really? You don't say.

Regina makes herself another cup of coffee. This shouldn't be such a big deal. It's not the first time the past has come back to haunt her, she thinks bitterly as she remembers when Cora suddenly arrived in Storybrooke and made her life a hell.

But Maleficent isn't Cora.

No, Maleficent is something entirely different.

Regina quickly empties her second cup of coffee. She'll figure this out. She'll smoothen things out with Maleficent. If she can. Yes, that's what she'll do. She'll continue her little "double agent scheme", work out what the witches are here for, report it back to Snow and David, and then, when she gets the chance, she'll make things right with Maleficent. That's what "heroes" do, right? Make things right.

Maleficent might not be a "hero" but she's not bad either, Regina knows that. God, how she knows that. And Maleficent definitely didn't deserve to be treated the way Regina treated her.

Regina puts the coffee cup down and realizes how her hand has started trembling slightly from the realization. She wronged Maleficent. She screwed up big time, and she just have to make that up to her somehow. _That's_ definitely a part of being one of "the good guys". To make things right with the people she can.

Her phone chimes and Regina blinks to make her unfocused eyes focus on the text. It's Snow White again, and this time, there's no way around it.

Regina will just have to meet her and David whilst being terribly hung over.

How fitting….

 _ **To Be Continued?**_


	31. Revelations

**Forbidden**

 **Revelations:**

"Because of us, Maleficent lost her child".

Regina stares at Snow. Just stares. And then she wonders how much new information her brain can handle in such a short amount of time.

Maleficent was _pregnant_? _When... How… What?!_

"You can't tell Emma," Snow adds, quite unnecessarily.

Regina simply nods while she still tries to wrap her head around. If Maleficent was pregnant around the same time as Snow…

 _She was pregnant when I showed up in the Forbidden Fortress and took the curse from her_. _She was pregnant, and I threw her around like a ragdoll_.

Guilt washes over her like a wave, and for a second, Regina is certain she's gonna be sick.

And her next silly impulse is _anger_. Toward _Snow White_. Maleficent lost her baby because something she and her idiot prince did.

Regina immediately balks and stops herself. Anger on Maleficent's behalf is definitely not gonna help the matter.

"Are you judging us?" Snow asks quietly. Maybe she saw a glimpse of the turmoil of emotions Regina is feeling right now.

"I honestly don't think it's my business to judge _anyone_ ," Regina says plainly. "But I really should go now. I can't be seen with the "heroes", remember?"

"Right."

Regina says goodbye to her former stepdaughter, and then she slips back into the shadows.

Maleficent was _pregnant_. Regina is still trying to wrap her head around that. Maleficent was pregnant, Maleficent had a _baby_ , and Snow and David shipped the baby through a portal to make sure Emma was born good.

" _There are far worse crimes that must be answered for_ ". That's what Maleficent said, and on the one hand, Regina can see where she come from, and hell she even _understands_ why Maleficent would want revenge on the people who wronged her

But at the same time, she knows that murdering Snow and David is hardly the answer.

 _Well… Things just got a hell of a lot more complicated. Again._

So now she has to keep Snow White's secret from Emma, keep her own secret from well, _everybody_ , avoid getting killed by an angry dragon _and_ protect Snow and David from said angry dragon, search after the Author, try to get a happy ending _, and_ infiltrate The Queens of Darkness _whilst_ keeping Maleficent at bay.

And who knows, maybe Maleficent will try and have a go at Emma, too. After all, Snow and David _did_ trade her child for theirs.

Regina sighs. She'll add that to her never-ending list of things to do. She needs a nap. Or a drink. Or maybe she just needs to curse. Loudly.

 _How long_ , she wonders as she walks through Storybrooke and heads toward her vault. _How long before I actually snap_?

Snapping sure as hell seems tempting right now. Regina yanks her gloves off and rubs her temples. Her head is starting to throb slightly. Possibly from the non-stop drinking she's endured for the past two days.

Or maybe she's just about to combust from everything that's unravelling around her right now.

And honest to god, combustion would probably be to prefer over _this_. This abundance of shit her life has become over the last few days.

She takes her coat off and throws it over one of the many chests standing on her vault floor. There's still a few blankets lying around on the floor, and Regina wonders whether she should remove them or not. It looks a bit messy.

That's where they ended up, her and Robin. On a couple of blankets on the hard-stone floor. Soulmates or not, Regina would have preferred their "first time" to be in a bed. With lit candles around them.

And preferably not with his frozen wife lying unconscious in the next room.

She wonders if he told Marian about what happened while she was a popsicle, and then she scoffs. No, of course he didn't. What good could possibly have come from that?

Regina plops down on one of the wooden chests. Her books are still lying scattered around in the vault. She _could_ use this unforeseen "spare time" to plow through them one more time, just in case there should be something about the Author. Something she has missed.

But deep down, she knows there isn't, and she's really not in the mood for sticking her nose in the books right now.

She's in the mood for a drink. And a fucking huge drink too.

 _Hangovers be damned_ , she thinks to herself as she flicks her wrist and fabricates a large glass of whiskey. She's gonna drink tomorrow night with "the Queens of Darkness" anyway, she might as well get used to it.

She just gotta chose to believe that Maleficent isn't coming for Snow or David tonight.

Or herself for that matter.

God, what a _mess_. And now there's the lost life of an innocent child involved, too. Regina sighs gravely and takes a large sip of the drink. The alcohol burns her throat, but the hell with it. If there's one thing she doesn't desire right now, it's to be sober.

At least she can stress out "find out why Ursula and Cruella resurrected Maleficent" from her list. They did that, so she can get her revenge on Snow and Charming.

And now it's up to Regina to protect them from the dragon's wrath.

Regina scoffs. Can she even protect _herself_ from the dragon's wrath? That's the million-dollar question.

She feels like she's playing some sort of insane "cat after mouse"-game right now, and she has a terrible feeling that this whole thing might just blow up in her face. As things have a natural habit of doing when it comes to her.

If she ever manages to track down that Author, she has a question or two to ask whoever the fuck that might be.

Okay, so she's an expert in fucking her life up, but _this_ , this is definitely not something she's responsible for.

Well, _partly_ responsible for, but that's it.

" _Fuck_!" she mutters sincerely. Normally, she's not one for profanity, but given the situation, this sea of mess her life has become, it's fitting.

But it didn't make her feel any better. Her head still feels like it's gonna explode at any given second.

There's always the second option. She _could_ try a good old-fashioned scream. That would be fitting too. Regina takes another gulp of the whiskey. When did she turn into such a dramatic person? She's not normally a "screaming" type of person.

But back in the "good old days" she would probably go out and rip out a few hearts. And she definitely can't do that anymore.

She really needs to find a new way to work her frustrations out. She had hoped drinking would do the trick, but apparently not.

"Regina?"

Regina's neck makes a " _crrr_ " sound as she quickly re-positions herself into a more normal sitting position. She didn't even notice that she had slumped back with her head leaned against the raw stone wall.

"Regina? You down here?"

Regina quickly identifies the voice as Emma Swan's, and the brunette frowns as she glances at her wrist watch. It's well past midnight. Shouldn't Emma be peacefully asleep in the pirate's arms or something like that?

"Yes, I'm here," Regina confirms and doesn't even bother to hide the whiskey glass. This is _her_ vault. If she feels like having a nightcap, then it's her business.

Emma steps into the faint light there is in the vault, and she frowns a little when she spots Regina sitting on the chest with the drink in her hand.

"Party for one, Madam Mayor?"

"Yes, something like that," Regina says and smiles thinly. "What are you doing down here at this time, Miss Swan?"

"Couldn't sleep," Emma shrugs. "And Henry says that you hang out down here these days, so…"

"So you decided to come for a midnight chat instead of sharing your insomnia with Captain Guyliner?"

"Hey, stop calling him that," Emma protests.

"My apologies," Regina sighs and takes a sip as she reminds herself that neither Killian or Emma is to blame for this abundance of shit. "Forget I said that. I just happen to be a bit stressed out at the moment."

"Yeah, Mary Margaret told me about this undercover-thing you're doing," Emma says. "Got anymore whiskey?"

Regina flicks her wrist again and makes a glass of whiskey appear in Emma's hand.

"Thanks," Emma says as she sits down on another wooden chest. She takes a sip of the whiskey and then proclaims: "I don't like it."

"If that's the case, then why on earth did you ask for it?" Regina inquires and raises an eyebrow.

"What?" Emma's own eyebrow raises at that and she quickly looks from Regina to the whiskey. "Oh, no, not the _whiskey_. The whiskey's good," she sniggers.

"Then what is it you don't like, Emma?"

"The undercover-thing." Emma says plainly.

"Yes, well, I'm not particularly overjoyed by it either, but the sooner we find out what Cruella, Ursula and… and Maleficent is up to, the better, right?"

"Right," Emma nods. "But you could have told me about it. I could've helped you."

Regina laughs dryly. "I think I can handle a few bitter witches, thank you very much."

"Bitter?"

"Never mind."

Emma takes another large gulp at the whiskey and then turns to look at Regina. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Regina asks tiredly. There's not much going on right now. Apart from a few glasses of whiskey.

"I get that you're going through a rough patch after Robin leaving, believe me, I get it," Emma says. "But you have been jumpy as hell these past few days, so spill it. What's going on?"

Regina takes a sip of her own whiskey. "I have no idea what you're talking about, miss Swan."

"You're lying," Emma says plainly. "Superpowers, remember?"

"Is this your version of a heart to heart? Or is it perhaps some ridiculous attempt of _girl_ talk?" Regina bites, but the words aren't quite as harsh as one could have hoped.

"No," Emma says and scoffs. "This is me trying to be your _friend_ , something you clearly need to get used to," she shoots Regina a deadly glare. "Our _son_ happened to mention that you looked, and I quote: "like hell, just in high heels." …"

"Well, that was kind of him," Regina half-snaps. She should have known that she couldn't hide anything from Henry. He's too damn smart.

"…So, I figured you could need someone to talk to. Someone that isn't providing you with a hope speech," Emma chuckles and Regina raises her eyebrows in horror. The last person who should find out about this, is Snow White.

"So, I'll ask you again: what's going on?" Emma asks and takes a gulp of the whiskey. "I'm here, I'm listening, and I'm not gonna go away until this whiskey glass is empty. So I suggest you start talking."

Regina laughs half-heartedly. This is neither Emma or the Savior she's talking to anymore, this is _Sheriff_ Swan.

"This undercover mission is just getting to me," Regina admits and drains her glass of whiskey. She quickly flicks her wrist and re-fills it. _Keep the drinks coming_.

"Okay." Emma says. "Well, between you and me, I wouldn't wanna hang with Cruella Devil either."

Regina chuckles again. "It's not Cruella I'm worried about. Or Ursula for that matter."

"Right. You and Maleficent met before, right?"

"Yes. Or paths… crossed." _Ha, that's to put it lightly_.

"And… What?" Emma encourages and smirks a little as she continues: "What, did you break into her castle and stole her diamonds or something like that?"

"No," Regina says. "Well, I _did_ break in once, but any diamonds I have is the one she gave me herself."

"Seriously?" Emma says between gulps of whiskey. "Maleficent gave you diamonds?"

"Yes." Regina nods. Maleficent _did_ have a habit of leaving lavish gifts whenever she returned home to her castle. There was always some sort trinket lying on Regina's pillow when she woke up.

"Why?"

"Because she wanted to," Regina says as nonchalantly as she can.

"Oh. So before your epic "throwing swords around"-fight you guys were... what, friends?"

"Yes."

The vault goes silent and Regina fiddles with the glass of whiskey. If she's gonna share this secret with anyone, then why not share it with Emma Swan? She's probably the only person in Storybrooke who wouldn't raise an eyebrow. And in light of what Snow White just spilled to Regina earlier… Regina would feel a bit better with keeping that secret if she spills one to Emma. Tit for tat, as they say. Spilling a secret to Emma somehow justifies the fact that she's withholding one from her too.

"Actually..." Regina says and seeks solace in another swig of whiskey. "Maleficent and I were a bit more than friends a long time ago."

"Seriously?" Emma says, and something tugs at the corners of her mouth.

"Yeah." Regina confirms nonchalantly. "Anyway, it ended badly. Or… _I_ ended it badly, so I'm guessing she's pretty pissed off at me."

But Emma's though process is clearly a bit slow tonight, for she says: "A bit more than friends as in…?"

"We were _involved_ ," Regina says grimly and waves her hand awkwardly.

"Holy shit."

"So now you know what's _going on_ with me." Regina says and shrugs. "She's out for my head because of what I did to her. So there's that."

Emma nods slowly and then her next brilliant exclamation comes: "I didn't know you were into women."

Regina rolls her eyes. "Well, since you're so keen on labels, let's call it _bisexual_." She _can_ label herself as "bisexual", right? Well, technically speaking, yes, yes, she can. There _were_ other women than Maleficent, but sexuality was rather fluid back in the Enchanted Forest.

Oh god, this is so confusing. And so surreal. To think that she's discussing her sexuality with _Emma Swan_ of all people.

"So, your ex-girlfriend who also happens to be a dragon is pissed off and wants to kill you because of the way you left things with her, is that it?"

Regina laughs dryly. " _And_ because I trapped her underground for thirty years. But yes, apart from the "girlfriend" part, that's perfectly summed up, miss Swan."

"I see why you're drinking." Emma says and clinks her glass with Regina's. "To utter chaos."

"To utter chaos," Regina echoes and empties her glass. "I suppose I should probably head home. I'm supposed to play my part tomorrow."

"Right." Emma says and hops of the chest. "See you tomorrow, Regina."

"Oh, and Emma?" Regina says, and the Savior stops in her tracks and turns around.

"Yeah?"

"I would appreciate if this could stay between us," Regina mutters and maybe she even blushes a little as she continues: "I was very young when the… the _thing_ between myself and Maleficent went on..."

"Young as in…?" Emma says, and Regina immediately knows what she means.

"Young as in married to the king," the brunette says. "And I don't think it would benefit anyone if your mother found out what happened…"

"Right. Got it. I won't say anything to anyone, Regina."

"Thanks."

Emma leaves the vault, and Regina waits a few moments before she follows and emerges from underground.

A movement catches her attention as she leaves the vault behind her. Regina turns around.

Maleficent is standing half hidden behind a tree, and it's very obvious that she's watching Regina and probably has been standing there for a good while.

Regina very nearly scoffs. It would seem that the Savior has just unconsciously saved her. Her Savior skills must be ever present.

Maleficent is making no attempt to approach her, but the _look_ she's giving Regina is unmistakable.

Regina considers to just get this over with, but on second thought, she's been drinking, and she would prefer to have this "witch-fight" when she's sober.

So, she acts like a coward.

She transports away.

Away from Maleficent's furious gaze.

 _ **To Be Continued…?**_


	32. Confrontation

**Forbidden**

 **Confrontation:**

"I said we had to meet covertly. Now I see you brought the entire Charming softball team _and_ their pirate mascot!" Regina says exasperated, because how stupid can these her newfound "friends" be? She's supposed to be one of the bad guys again. She really can't be seen with the "hero"-gang.

"We were worried about you," Mary Margaret says calmly.

"Well, then worry quickly. I can't be seen with all of you."

It would seem that Emma has been giving this some thinking during the night, because she tries to "warn" Regina about Maleficent, and then she offers to help her with the undercover thing.

But Regina declines. She doesn't need help. She got this. Or, at least she thinks she does.

She waits until they're gone, then she adjusts her coat slightly and prepares to leave the library and join "The Queens of Darkness".

Or, she _thinks_ she's alone. When she passes a shelf on her way to the door, Emma steps out behind said shelf, and Regina nearly yelps in surprise.

"What the hell, Emma? I thought you've left with the others!" Regina says and presses a hand to her heart. Seriously, how many surprises can she handle?

"I was worried. And I'm not a fan of this whole undercover-thing." Emma says and folds her arms across her chest.

"Yes, well, neither I am. But I can't very well back out now. And I promised your mother to keep an eye on _the queens_ ," Regina says sarcastically.

"That may be, but she doesn't know that Maleficent is your ex-girlfriend…"

"Stop calling her that."

"…And out for your head." Emma continues and ignores Regina's remark. "I mean, what if she's gonna try and attack you?"

"I'm not completely lost when it comes to fighting witches."

"But I doubt even _you_ would stand a chance if she turned into a dragon."

Regina just shrugs. Because Emma is absolutely right about that. She doesn't have the shadow of a chance if Maleficent goes "dragon-crazy" on her.

"Then I guess I'll go out with a bang. Or in flames, or something like that," Regina quips half-heartedly, and sees a flicker of panic in Emma's green eyes.

"And what am I supposed to tell Henry if his mother ends up as a dragon's lunch?" the blonde inquires with a raised eyebrow.

"I doubt she would go as far as eat me. I'm too bony for her." Regina says dryly. That's true. Maleficent repeatedly told her that she "needed to eat more".

"Seriously, what if she decides to follow through and threatens you?" Emma presses. "Please tell me you have some sort of plan."

"Oh, I have," Regina scoffs. "It's called _I_ ' _m sorry_."

Emma's jaw drops a little. "Seriously? You're gonna _apologize_ to her?" she sounds so shocked, and Regina can't blame her. Heavens know she isn't big on apologizing.

"Yes, I think an apology is in order." Regina mumbles and fiddles with her gloves. She's still not sure why she's talking to Emma Swan about this.

"Wow, you really mucked things up bad, didn't you?" Emma says plainly.

"You have no idea." Regina says and winces slightly when she's assaulted by a flashback of herself laughing in Maleficent's face while Maleficent clearly tried to say something important to her.

 _Yeah, I really "mucked things up" badly._

"What _happened_?" Emma asks earnestly. Clearly, Regina's little journey back in time hadn't gone unnoticed. And the Savior doesn't sound irritatingly curious, she just sounds like a concerned friend.

"Let's just say I screwed up spectacularly," Regina says and decides to let it be with that. "And if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be."

She pats Emma's shoulder lightly in an "I'll be fine"-manner, and then she walks toward the door.

"Did you care for her?"

Regina freezes for a moment. "I was incapable of caring for _anyone_."

With that she leaves the library and Emma Swan.

Regina walks the short distance to the outskirts of Main Street. She doesn't have to wait long before Cruella's big and rather tasteless car pulls up in front of her. Both the passenger door and the driver's door opens, but the car appears to empty.

"Ready to take a drive?"

Regina freezes for the second time that night. Maleficent is standing right next to her. Dressed in her "blouse, skirt and tie" attire. Her hair is pinned into soft curls and a grey hat is bouncing on top of them.

"Where are the other two's?" Regina asks plainly, and her voice comes out softly in the howling wind.

"Don't worry about them. It's just you and me tonight. Just like old times," Maleficent smirks.

 _Great. Wonderful_. So tonight, is the night where Maleficent is gonna make her move.

"Why don't you get in?" Maleficent suggests silkily. "I'll drive."

Suggestion or not, Regina suspects she doesn't have much of an actual _choice_ in the matter, so she calmly walks over to Cruella's car and climbs inside.

Maleficent follows suit and takes the drivers seat, but she isn't doing much driving. The car appears to be driving itself, and Maleficent spends the time with staring Regina down.

Regina silently wonders if Maleficent perhaps is planning to murder her right here. In the car. But on seconds thoughts, Cruella would probably not like that. No, Maleficent is taking her somewhere isolated to "have it out with her". The woods? No, not the woods. People would both see and hear them in the woods.

Where then? Maleficent doesn't already have a house, does she?

But they are in fact heading towards the woods. Hmm. Not very original. But obviously, there's plenty of leg room for a dragon.

Regina scoffs quietly. _My magic is absolutely useless against a dragon_. _So if THAT'S what she's planning… well, then I'm screwed._

 _Great._

"Are you afraid of me?" Maleficent suddenly asks, and it takes Regina back to a night long ago in her old bedchambers.

"No." Regina says plainly. She has kind of already made her peace with this major witch fight that's about to happen.

Maleficent purses her lips but doesn't say anything.

The car rounds a corner and suddenly they are parked in front of what appears to be a cottage in the woods.

A _cottage_. Well, this place certainly isn't big enough for a dragon. Unless Maleficent is planning to blow up the whole place of course. That could be a possibility, too.

Maleficent swiftly exits the car, and Regina finds that she has no choice but to follow her.

The cottage is modest but has every furniture one could desire. There's smoldering flames flickering in the fireplace, and Regina listens to the sound for a moment.

Then she turns her attention back to Maleficent who is looming behind her. The blonde sorceress is staring her down like she did in the car, and her blue eyes flickers dangerously.

Regina stares back. She honestly thought she was prepared for this, but she doesn't get the chance to even summon a fireball before Maleficent waves her hand. The movement sends Regina straight into the wall. Stars dances before her eyes as the back of her head collides with the hard wall, and three second later, she's restrained by whatever spell Maleficent cast upon her.

 _So. This is it._

Maleficent is in front of her within seconds and she practically snarls in Regina's face as she wraps her fingers around the brunette's throat.

Regina halfheartedly tries to move her arms, but it's not worth it. She can't move at all. She's bound by whatever magic Maleficent used. And Maleficent keeps squeezing her throat. Harder and harder. Regina's breath becomes ragged, her lungs burns due to lack of oxygen and her vision begins to blur slightly. She's gonna pass out. She's definitely gonna pass out.

Maleficent squeezes again, but her fingers aren't quite as certain anymore, and her grip around Regina's throat not very fierce either.

Regina opens her eyes and stares at Maleficent's pale, angry face. What is she doing? Is she gonna kill her or not?

"Why... aren't you _fighting_?" Maleficent hisses irritated. "Why aren't you trying to make me _stop_?"

Regina coughs and wheezes in response. She can't very well tell Maleficent that she has expected this.

" _Fight me,_ damnit!" Maleficent growls and Regina is suddenly able to move her arms. But she doesn't. She just keeps on staring at Maleficent. And Maleficent squeezes her throat again.

"I said _fight me_!"

"No," Regina croaks.

That seems to rattle Maleficent completely. Her fingers suddenly become loose around Regina's throat.

"You… Have every… Right to… do this." Regina coughs and her eyes starts to water slightly at the sudden rush of oxygen.

For a moment, Maleficent looks like she's gonna explode in a fit of rage, her fingers are still nestled around Regina's neck, she growls something Regina can't quite understand, and then- then she kisses her.

Regina stiffens completely at the unexpected contact. _What in Hells name is even going on?!_ Maleficent's mouth is hard and angry against hers, but she's not squeezing Regina's throat anymore. Instead she uses one hand to grab Regina's wrists and pin them above her head.

For the first time in a very long time, Regina is a hundredth percent confused about what the fuck is happening. Well, she's not an idiot, Maleficent is kissing her, that much is obvious. But the million-dollar question is exactly _why_ Maleficent is kissing her? is this some sort of twisted foreplay before she actually follows through and kills Regina?

Maleficent's hand, the hand that isn't pinning Regina's wrists above her head, suddenly travels down and palms her breast roughly.

 _Right then. Okay._ Regina bites back a moan when Maleficent suddenly wedges a knee in between them and starts rubbing said knee against her core. What, is this turning into angry sex now? Okay. It wouldn't be the first time they had angry sex, but Regina can't for the life of her imagine _what_ spurred this. And Maleficent is still kissing her. She's still plundering Regina's mouth with her tongue, and more or less "forcing" Regina to respond to the kiss. Her knee is still rubbing swiftly against Regina's core, and Regina can feel how she's getting wetter and wetter.

And suddenly, Maleficent is nowhere near her. Regina can once again move her wrists, and she barely gets the chance to reposition herself into a more "normal" standing position before the door opens.

"And exactly what is going on in here?" Cruella asks and smirks as she glides through the door with Ursula right behind her.

Regina settles for an eyeroll. Mostly because she doesn't have the faintest idea of what the hell is going on. She's at her wits end.

"Shouldn't you two be somewhere else?" Maleficent snips.

"Change of plans, darling," Cruella drawls.

"The _Savior_ and her entourage was out and about," Ursula spats. "We can't make a move tonight."

Regina hasn't the faintest idea of what "move" Ursula refers to, and honestly, she doesn't care at the moment. She's still deeply confused about what the fuck just happened. One moment Maleficent is going full on murderous bitch on her, and the next she's kissing her and basically getting her off against a wall.

"Hmm. What a _shame_ ," Maleficent drawls. "It seems we've come out here in vain then."

"Apparently." Regina says and finally finds her voice again.

"Perhaps we should disband before the _Savior_ and her gang decides to follow us out here," Ursula suggests.

"A fine idea," Cruella says. "But you'll have to find somewhere else to be, because _I'm_ staying right here." With that she saunters over to the cabinet and pours herself a drink. "Now get the hell out of my cabin."

Ursula scoffs as she disappears in a cloud of smoke.

Maleficent remains frozen to the spot and stares Cruella down like she stared Regina down a moment ago.

Regina settles for walking out of the door. _What the hell just happened_? She wonders as she walks through the forest. She had imagined this grand confrontation. A battle. A regular witch fight. A fight that involved throwing each other around like rag dolls, and instead Maleficent pulls a stunt like _this_.

That was definitely an angry kiss, but Regina isn't sure _what_ to believe anymore, and she's definitely not gonna think about what would have happened if Cruella and Ursula _hadn't_ barged in.

No, she's not thinking about that. Of course she isn't.

 **To Be Continued?**


	33. Close Encounters

**A/N: Ok, so I have decided that Robin Hood will not be a part of this story.. He'll be far better off in New York :D aaand, needless to say, this is were we deviates from "storyline"**

 **Forbidden**

 **Close Encounters:**

Okay, so _what_ just happened?

That's the burning question.

Maleficent kissed her. First, she basically choked the air out of her, and then she kissed her.

 _Why_?

She is supposed to be angry, right? Well, she _was_ angry, but that kiss wasn't _just_ angry.

And Regina had every opportunity to stop the kiss. So why didn't she?

 _Because I wanted it. Because I enjoyed the kiss and wanted to keep kissing her._

Right then. Splendid. That complicates things. Again.

Regina ends up in her bedroom. Her throat is still bruised and aching and by all the gods, she's confused. At her wits end. Literally.

She hasn't thought of Maleficent for _years_ and now this. Was the response to the kiss an automatic one, or was it perhaps just pure relief because the dragon is alive?

 _A mixture_.

This was _not_ the kind of infiltration she had imagined.

Not at all. What she _had_ expected was a Maleficent trying to kill her. Not a Maleficent kissing her and literally trying to get her off against a fucking _wall_. This day has already been too long, Regina decides. So she flicks her wrist and trades her clothes for a pajama and then climbs into bed. Determined not to let this night's events get to her.

But then, as expected, as predicted. Things blows up spectacularly in her face. Well, maybe not in hers directly, but she's certainly caught right in the middle of the Jetstream.

Snow White, who is clearly overcome with guilt spills her secret to Emma. And Emma understandably reacts with both anger and hurt. Things escalates further when Mr. Gold makes his re-appearance in Storybrooke and lets Regina in on his little "plan". To turn Emma dark.

And then Cruella crosses a line and goes after Henry in an attempt to get what she wants. It ends as badly as it even can. Emma shoves Cruella off a cliff and into her death.

Snow and David are horrified. Is their daughter turning dark?

Regina tries to calm the disturbed waters, but she secretly wonders whether _she_ wouldn't have done the exact same thing to Cruella.

With Cruella's death, "the Queens of Darkness" disbands again. Ursula, with her voice restored to her, leaves with her father, and Maleficent… Well, god knows what Maleficent is doing.

Regina's primary focus is to stay calm and not let her temper get the best of her. She should have screamed when she had the opportunity too.

After a couple of "eventful" days they all end up at Granny's Diner. Regina, Snow, David, Henry, Emma and Killian. Emma is still visibly upset with her parents and barely looks at them. Let alone talks to them.

And Regina wonders whether it's appropriate to have a drink at ten in the morning.

"Emma…" Mary Margaret tries, but Emma keeps her gaze fixated on the table instead of looking at her mother.

And then the door to Granny's Diner opens and Maleficent steps inside. Snow and David instantly looks up, and Regina is fully prepared to take the fight right then and there, but Maleficent simply scoffs and pushes her golden hair back over her shoulder.

"Relax. I'm not here to kill _anyone_." She drawls and her eyes darts from Snow and David to Regina, and then to Emma. "I'm here to ask the _Savior_ for help."

Emma looks up. "You want _my_ help? For what?"

"Well, before Cruella died," Maleficent says toneless and Emma winces. "She told me that my daughter did in fact survive the journey through the portal."

"She- she's alive?" Snow gasps.

"Yes, despite what _you_ did to her," Maleficent sneers. "And Rumplestiltskin conveniently neglected to tell me, so it would appear that we now have a common foe."

"I knew he couldn't keep the dragon on her leash for long," Regina says before she can stop herself.

Maleficent's lips almost twitches at that. "Her name is Lilith. Lily. And apparently she's somewhere called _New York_."

"And what exactly do you want me to do?" Emma inquires, and her expression is still very much guarded.

"You once tracked people down for a living, am I correct? I want you to find her," Maleficent says. "And bring her back to me. I think that's the least you can do for me. If you do that, I might just consider to not harm your precious parents."

Emma opens her mouth, then closes it again. Considers for a moment, and then: "Deal."

"Excellent." Maleficent says and gives Snow and David another icy stare. She turns around, heads for the door but then changes her mind and stops halfway there: "Regina, a moment of your time if you please."

Emma opens her mouth as to protest but Regina raises a hand to silence her. The Charmings aren't the only ones with a debt to pay.

She follows Maleficent outside, a couple of feet away from the diner and then folds her arms across her chest as she waits. She hadn't expected Maleficent to take the confrontation in the middle of the street, but in hindsight, she doesn't know _anything_ anymore.

"Rumple is still planning something," Mal says plainly as she turns around to face Regina. "I don't know exactly _what_ , but he's planning something. Unfortunately, neither of us could keep the charade up long enough to figure out what."

"Neither of us?" Regina echoes and raises an eyebrow.

"Oh, come on," Maleficent says and rolls her blue eyes. "You couldn't be one of the villains even if you tried. I'm surprised neither Cruella or Ursula didn't look right through you."

"But obviously _you_ did." Regina points out.

"I've always had a certain skill for reading you like an open book."

Now it's Regina's turn to roll her eyes, but she silently agrees with Maleficent. "And exactly why are you tattling on Gold to _me_? I thought you were angry with me."

"Yes, well, I'm still trying to figure out exactly _what_ to do with you." Maleficent states.

Regina raises an eyebrow. This is odd. Maleficent is talking to her exactly like she did many years ago, and that is quite confusing.

"I'm not gonna apologize for trying to strangle you the other day," Maleficent says plainly.

"I didn't expect you to."

"And I'm not gonna apologize for kissing you either."

"Right. Can I ask exactly _why_ you did that?" Regina asks haughtily. "Not the most common way to show your anger."

"Because I wanted to." Maleficent says, and once again her voice is completely neutral. "But I do believe a proper talk in is order."

"And does that talk include you trying to choke me again?"

"I haven't decided." Maleficent answers and narrows her eyes. "But I have several questions I want an answer to. I think you owe me that."

Regina nods. She does. She does owe Maleficent that.

"Tonight. Gold's cabin. It's empty, he's out spying on his little bookworm. If you don't show up, I will bring you there myself." The last bit is a pretty obvious threat, and Regina nods again as to confirm their agreement.

"Don't be late… my _darling_." Maleficent says silkily as she disappears in a cloud of smoke.

Regina's eyebrows raise at her hairline at that. Threat or not, that sounded _very_ much like Maleficent was arranging one of their "regular meetings" like she did back in the Enchanted Forest, but surely that can't be the case. Because why on earth should Maleficent be interested in _that_? No, she wanted answers to her questions, and nothing else.

 _My darling_. What the hell is Regina supposed to think of _that_? _Why would she even call me that_?

She's at her wits end. Again. Maleficent is definitely trying to lead her astray. It wouldn't be the first time she's done that, but this is really something else.

Deeply mystified, Regina walks back into the diner where Emma immediately gives her a look. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Regina dismisses. "So, you're going to New York?"

"Yeah." Emma nods. "I could actually use a little Storybrooke break." She glances up at her parents standing at the counter.

"Emma, you can't keep that up forever," Regina says quietly. "Believe me, nothing good comes from holding grudges."

"I get that," Emma acknowledges. "But still… They've always made such a big deal out of being Snow White and prince Charming. The good guys. And then it turns out that they've done something like _this_."

"They made a mistake," Regina says. "But they owned up to it. They admitted what they did."

"That still doesn't make it okay." Emma mutters. "And shouldn't _you_ be angry over what they did to Maleficent?"

"I was," Regina admits quietly. "For a split second."

"Maleficent didn't seem very angry though, did she?" Emma muses.

"No, she didn't. I think she just wants her daughter back."

"Mmm. What did she want?" Emma inquires.

Regina sighs. "I still have a lot of things to sort out with her."

"Hopefully that doesn't involve _strangling_ you again," Emma says.

Regina chuckles dryly. Emma had accidentally seen the markings on her neck and had nagged her until Regina had told her what happened.

But she hadn't told her about that damned kiss. She didn't need to tell anyone about that.

 **To Be Continued?**


	34. Forgotten

**Forbidden**

 **Forgotten:**

Regina has never been afraid of a confrontation. Oh, no, not at all. In fact, she's the one who usually initializes confrontations.

But this particular confrontation is nothing like the other confrontations she's had in the past. This is different.

Mainly because Regina isn't interested in a confrontation at all. That doesn't mean she's a coward. Of course she's not a coward.

She just doesn't know how to tell Maleficent that she pushed her away simply because she was getting too close.

Because in hindsight, that _was_ what happened. Not only did Maleficent weasel her way into Regina's bed. She also weaseled her way into that small corner of Regina's heart that wasn't dark yet at the time.

Regina had reached that conclusion sometimes during that afternoon. Or maybe she had known it all along. She just hadn't allowed herself time to think too much about it

She shouldn't be allowing herself to think about it now either. Maleficent is a part of her past. Admittedly, a fucking huge part of it, but nevertheless, what happened between them, happened in the past.

But that doesn't mean that Maleficent isn't still angry about it. Of course she is. She has every right to be angry. And Regina _will_ apologize for what she did to her.

If Maleficent gives her the chance, that is. Maybe she just kills Regina the moment she steps into Gold's cabin.

 _But what was that kiss about then?_

Well, that… No, Regina has no valid explanation for that. Maybe Maleficent was either frustrated or a tad nostalgic. Or maybe both.

Regina sighs. She might as well get this over with. _Let the battle begin_.

God, her life is still a myriad of battles. Even when she tries to "retire" from all that, there's still another battle waiting just around the next corner.

And Regina has a feeling that the battles might never stop. She's not cut out for a so-called quiet life.

Villains don't get quiet lives.

Regina puts her coat on and straightens her posture. This is it. Make or break. She made this mess in the first place, and now its time to fix it. It's time to straighten things out once and for all.

 _If I don't end up as dragon dinner before I get a chance to open my mouth._

She rolls her eyes. How pessimistic of her. But maybe not entirely wrong. _She did try to strangle me once… Why shouldn't she take another shot at that_? _She was after all, interrupted._

 _Interrupted doing_ _what_ _exactly?_

Getting nostalgic for some reason. It's so easy to confuse anger with passion.

Regina scoffs as she leaves the mansion.

She has barely reached Main Street before she notices that she's being watched. Or, _followed_ to be more accurate. By a yellow bug. And Emma Swan behind the wheel.

Regina groans quietly to herself. Telling Emma about her upcoming "meeting" with Maleficent was clearly a mistake. Another mistake. It seems mistakes is the only thing she's making these days. Now the Savior is _worried_. And clearly under the impression that Regina needs some sort of "backup".

Which she doesn't. If Maleficent really decides to go "dragon crazy", the only thing working is a sword. And Regina is not about to drive a sword into Maleficent's chest. And she's not about to let Emma drive a sword into Maleficent's chest. Again. One time gotta be enough.

Regina continues her walk down Main Street. The damned bug follows. God damnit, this is nerve wracking enough without having the Savior breathing down her neck too. Regina quickens her pace.

So does the bug.

 _Okay, seriously?! I'm filing a complain for stalking. If I survive._

Regina decides that enough is enough and flicks her wrist. The yellow bug and Emma's concerned face disappears, and a moment later, Regina is standing in the woods.

She's not far from Gold's cabin now. She passes one of the large oak trees, and there, hidden in a lumen is the cabin. It looks quiet. Almost idyllic. No signs of an angry dragon anywhere.

Regina walks up the steps. She doesn't knock. She doesn't have too. Of course Maleficent knows that she's here. She always had an excellent hunch when it came to knowing where Regina was.

Maleficent is standing in the middle of the small living room. She's staring into the fire and doesn't look up when Regina steps inside.

Regina doesn't announce herself. This is Maleficent's meeting, so to speak. Her call. Her move. Whatever _that_ might be.

Maleficent continues to stare into the fire. Her forehead is crinkled, and her brows knitted together. Regina has seen that expression on her face more than once. Not often, but still, she knows exactly what that expression means. Maleficent is concerned. And she doesn't look particularly murderous but looks can be deceiving.

Regina waits and prepares herself. For anything, really. Getting throwed into a wall. Getting choked, restrained with magic or whatever.

But nothing happens. Maleficent just looks into the flickering flames. She's holding on to what appears to be a rattle.

Regina raises her own eyebrow. What the hell is going on? Is Maleficent trying to lull her into some false sense of comfort? Or is she trying to unnerve her? Because if that's the case, she's doing a spectacular job.

Or perhaps the dragon has just lost her ability to say anything. And if _that's_ the case, Regina doesn't understand _why_ she's even here. She came to be yelled at. To be attacked. Not to stare into the flames in complete silence.

"Regina." Maleficent finally acknowledges.

"Maleficent." Regina parrots and folds her arms across her chest.

Maleficent turns around and looks at Regina. She even smirks a little. "Look at you all tense and alert."

Regina shrugs. "I wouldn't call it tense."

"What _would_ you call it then?"

"Prepared." Regina says dully and opens her palm a few times. She's completely ready to conjure a fireball. Not that she _wants_ to, but…

"Oh, that won't be necessary," Mal says and waves her hand carelessly. "I'm not going to _attack_ you. I thought it better if we talked instead."

Regina's eyebrow raises again. Talk? Well, that's definitely better than a spectacular with fight, but nevertheless unexpected.

"Alright…" she says hesitantly.

"But first we should have a drink," Maleficent says briskly and walks over to the table to get the two glasses of wine she seemingly had prepared for them.

 _A drink_? Seriously, _what's going on_? Last time they met, Maleficent was very literally trying to squeeze the life out of her (among other things), and now she suddenly wants to _drink_ with her?

"Just like old times, isn't it?" Maleficent says and smirks as she offers Regina the glass. "You, me, wine and an open fire place."

Regina rolls her eyes. Yes, this is _very_ much like old times. Alarmingly much like old times.

"Cheers," Maleficent says and clinks her glass with Regina's.

Regina doesn't respond to that. She simply takes a sip of the wine. She immediately recognizes the taste. It's the same sweet wine she used to serve Regina after they…

Regina pushes _that_ thought out of her head by taking another deep sip of the wine. _Now_ who's getting nostalgic?

"Still a fan of sweet wine," she comments.

"Yes, indeed. Not much have changed when it comes to that."

Regina empties the glass. She's on a schedule here. If they're gonna "talk" they might as well get it over with. And preferably _before_ miss Swan comes barging in.

"Okay, can we just cut the charade and talk alrea…" the words die on her tongue. Something is wrong. Gold's cabin is blurring around the edges, and she's suddenly feeling dizzy. She drops the glass and it shatters into a million pieces, but she can't quite hear the sound. Not completely.

Regina takes a deep breath and puts one hand on the wall to steady herself. _The wine_. Damnit. How could she be so fucking stupid?

"You… Did you put something in my wine?" she asks dumbly and curses herself immediately. Because of _course_ Maleficent did just that.

"Yes." Maleficent answers plainly.

Regina swallows thickly and tries to stay focused. "I thought poison were a little below you, but apparently I was wrong."

"It's not poison." Maleficent says quietly. Or maybe she's yelling. Regina can't hear it.

"No? Something that will make me die a slow and painful dead, then?" Regina suggests sarcastically. Her legs are trembling. In a moment she won't be able to stand. But perhaps that was Maleficent's plan all along. To weaken her.

"Not that either," Maleficent says and surprisingly enough grabs Regina's arm and steadies her.

Regina tries to protest as Maleficent lies her down on what… the couch? The floor? a bed?

"What the hell did you give me?!" Admittedly, she's panicking a little now. Maybe it's not such a bad thing that Emma knows she's here after all.

"It's just something that will make you take a little nap… and when you wake up, you'll know so much more than you do now."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Regina demands and tries to push herself up from whatever she's lying on. But it seems like she's struggling in vain.

Maleficent crouches down next to her and puts a firm hand on her shoulder. "Shh, just sleep, Regina. Go to sleep."

Regina tries. She really does. She fights valiantly to stay in the cabin, but she can't. whatever Maleficent gave her is too strong, and her attempts becomes weaker and weaker until her eyes close.

 _When she opens her eyes again she's not in the cabin any more. She's not even in Storybrooke. She's in the Enchanted Forest, in the castle she used to live in after Snow and Charming banished her. And she's standing right behind... Herself. She's seeing herself as she was, The Evil Queen, dressed in black and with her head bowed over something that very much looks like instructions as to how to cast The Dark Curse._

 _Suddenly, the door to her bedchambers open, and both Regina and the other, queenly version of her looks up. Maleficent steps inside, dressed in a grey gown and with her hair down._

" _What are you doing here?!" the queen sneers._

" _Visiting an old friend," Maleficent says silkily._

 _The queen opens her palm and a fireball appears. "Do you think I'm that stupid, Maleficent? This is no social call. You're here for the curse, aren't you?"_

 _Maleficent doesn't say anything._

" _You're not getting it!" the queen hisses. "You will not tear me away from my revenge! Nothing will."_

 _Maleficent rolls her blue eyes. "Oh, do stop it, Regina. I think I've endured enough of your talk of revenge already."_

" _Then what_ _do_ _you want?" the queen drawls. "I'm rather busy at the moment. And I thought I made it quite clear that I don't…"_

 _Maleficent doesn't let her finish. Instead she simply invades Regina's personal space and kisses her. "As I said, I'm simply here to visit an old friend."_

 _The queen sneers again as she pulls away. "You're here to ensnare me. To distract me, like you did it in the past. But it won't work. Not this time."_

" _You're still seeing hidden agendas everywhere, Regina. Is it really that hard to believe that I'm here simply because I missed our little… meetings?"_

" _You're lying." The queen states plainly._

" _No, I'm not." Maleficent says. "Let me prove it to you."_

" _And how exactly would you do that?" the queen says haughtily._

 _Maleficent once again steps closer to her, cups her cheek and then brushes her fingertips over her cheekbones. "Come back to me. One last time."_

 _The queen laughs. "Are you really that pathetic, Maleficent? Can't you find anyone else who's willing to fuck you? Is that it? Quite sad I must say. As I said once before, you've fallen quite a-ways, my dea…"_

 _Maleficent kisses the queen, fiercely and almost angrily, but it doesn't take long before her actions forces the queen to react._

 _Regina gapes and lowers her gaze to the floor as… well, herself and Maleficent tumbles down on the bed like they've did it so many times before. She's not particularly interested in witnessing this scene._

 _And mercifully enough, she doesn't have to. The scenery changes to a rather pale looking Maleficent in The Forbidden Fortress. A Maleficent who barely touches her food, a Maleficent who appears to be dizzy when she stands up. A Maleficent who seemingly have trouble with her magic, and finally a Maleficent touching her swollen belly. Rubbing it tenderly, calling her unborn child "little dragon", telling it tales of a sweet young queen who tumbled down a dark path._

" _People know her as the Evil Queen, my little dragon. But she wasn't always like that. She was sweet and gentle and kind. And it seems like she's still capable of doing good after all."_

 _Maleficent rubs her stomach again._

 _Regina stumbles back against the wall. No. It can't be. It just can't. It's not… It's not_ _ **POSSIBLE**_.

She wheezes as she's suddenly rather abruptly "returned" to Gold's cabin and the flickering flames in the fireplace. So she is in fact lying on the floor.

Regina pushes herself into a sitting position. _What the hell just happened_? Is Maleficent seriously trying to tell her what Regina thinks she's trying to tell her?

"That's…"

"Rare, but not unheard of." Maleficent says. She's still looking into the fireplace.

Regina remains quiet. It's true. In her studies of magic, she _did_ come across tales where magic had been involved when it came to… conceiving.

"Why didn't I know of this… event?"

"Because I took your memories," Maleficent says plainly. "I waited until you slept and then I removed the memory from your mind."

" _Why_ would you keep that from me?!"

"I felt it happen," Maleficent says. "I knew right away that something was different. And would knowing it really have changed anything? Wouldn't you still have been hellbent on casting the curse? The curse that _trapped_ me for thirty years."

"You kept my own child from me!"

"I did what I found necessary," Maleficent says icily. "Who says you wouldn't have killed me on the spot if I told you?"

"I _never_ would have…"

"You say that now," Maleficent says, and her voice becomes a bit softer. "But you weren't exactly in your right mind back then…"

Regina mimics Maleficent's previous behavior and stares into the fire. She has a child. _They_ have a child. Lilith. A child Snow White and prince Charming shipped through a portal.

They have a _child_. A daughter. A full-grown daughter.

Oh, it was so much easier when she thought Maleficent wanted to kill her.

"Now you know why I didn't kill you the other day," Maleficent says quietly. "I couldn't very well kill my child's other mother."

 _My child. Other mother. Lilith. Oh god._ She's getting a headache.

"It's funny really," Maleficent comments. "How the past can suddenly come back."

"It would appear that I have even more things to apologize for than I thought," Regina mutters.

"Don't apologize for impregnating me," Maleficent brushes her off. "You weren't in control of your magic. You were terribly frustrated that night."

"I'll take your word for it."

"But _trapping_ me for thirty years, taking my humanity away… I'm not sure I'm quite ready to forgive that."

"I wouldn't be either," Regina assures and finally pushes herself up and stands up again.

"I don't trust the Savior," Maleficent says, and changes the subject swiftly. "I don't trust _anyone_ in this dreadful little town…"

Regina raises an eyebrow.

"And that's quite unfortunate since the _Savior_ is the one going to New York to search for Lilith."

"You can trust her."

Maleficent scoffs. "Trust the person who's indirectly responsible for my- our daughters darkness?"

Regina isn't sure how to respond to that.

"We both know I can't leave the town unless I want to end up as a pile of dust again, so…"

"So?"

"I want you to go with her." Maleficent says plainly. "To this _New York_. I want you to find our daughter and bring her back."

Regina nods immediately. The room is spinning again, but this time it has nothing to do with the memory potion.

 _They have a daughter_ ….

 _ **To Be Continued?**_


	35. A Fine Mess

**Forbidden**

 **A Fine Mess:**

"Would you like an actual drink?" Maleficent offers. "To take the edge of things?"

Regina shakes her head. She doesn't need a drink right now. No, what she needs is a clear head. And alcohol is definitely not the answer.

"Do you…" her voice breaks and she clears her throat. "Do you know anything about… her?"

Maleficent shakes her head. "No. Just her name."

"Okay, well, I'm sure Emma can find out more about her."

Maleficent's mouth twists.

"You can't keep her responsible for what her parents did to your daughter, Maleficent."

" _Our_ daughter," Maleficent corrects quietly and resumes her staring into the fireplace.

"Yes, yes, our daughter." Regina says and tries to get familiar with _that_ prospect.

"This was gonna be hers," Maleficent half-whispers and holds the rattle up in the light.

"It's beautiful." Regina says with a small smile as she studies the rattle. She would have liked to hold it. Just once. But she isn't sure how much she can ask of Maleficent right now. This is a delicate situation, to put it lightly.

But Maleficent uses her ability to look right through Regina and places the rattle in her hand.

Regina closes her fingers around it. It truly is a beautiful rattle, so detailed. She shakes it once. The sound reminds her of when Henry was a baby, of his drippily smiles, his pudgy fingers, his chubby arms wrapping around her neck whenever she took him into her arms.

She missed it all. All of it. While she was out causing terror, Maleficent was pregnant with _her_ child. While she was consumed by vengeance and trying to cast an all-devastating curse, Maleficent lost her child- _their_ child. And Regina had no idea. Instead she cast a curse and took away Maleficent's humanity for thirty years.

It would seem that she's guiltier of so much more than she thought.

Suddenly she becomes aware of the gigantic lump forming in her throat and the way her eyes burn and prickles.

"I've upset you," Maleficent says and stretches one hand out, as if she wants to put it on Regina's shoulder.

"It's fine. I'm fine," Regina immediately dismisses.

"That is not true. I've seen that expression on your face a million times."

Regina shakes her head and brings one fist to her mouth in an attempt to compose herself.

"And I've seen you do that a million times too." Maleficent says and hands Regina a new glass of wine. "I think you might need that drink anyway."

Regina accepts the glass but hesitates before she takes a sip.

"It's not poisoned," Maleficent assures, but when Regina doesn't respond to her words right away, she proves her point by taking the glass from Regina, taking a sip of the wine and then hand the glass back to the brunette.

Regina then takes a sip of the wine. "Thank you."

"Anytime."

"Can I trust you not to have a go at Snow White and Prince Charming while I'm in New York?" Regina inquires.

Maleficent's mouth twists again. "I don't suppose anything good would come from trying to get back at them…"

"And you're absolutely right about that." Regina firmly finishes the dragon's sentence.

Maleficent tilts her head curiously. "You really _have_ changed. You are far less angry than I remember you."

Regina shrugs. "I had to let go of my anger. For Henry."

"And perhaps for the man with the lion tattoo, too?"

Regina frowns. "What do _you_ know of Robin Hood?"

"Rumplestiltskin gossips when he's pathetic and miserable and doesn't have his magic."

"Ah." Regina empties her glass of wine. Robin Hood. She had for some inexplainable reason forgotten all about him in the turbulence of Maleficent's arrival and her own infiltration.

"I should go," she continues and hands the glass back to Maleficent. But she teethers a bit on her heels when she takes a step. She quickly turns around and stares at Maleficent.

"Remains of the memory potion," Maleficent quickly explains. "You will probably feel a bit lightheaded for the rest of the night."

"Fantastic."

"I recommend that you get some rest when you get home. The rest of the effect will wear off when you sleep."

"Duly noted." _Remains of the memory potion_. That's definitely putting it lightly. Damn strong remains that is. Regina's otherwise well-functioning legs shakes uncontrollable under her.

Maleficent suddenly flashes her a smile. "You know what this reminds me of?"

"No," Regina says strained and puts a hand on the wall again.

"Me. When you first met me."

"Is that so?" Regina says sarcastically. "I'm sure you understand why I was unimpressed, then."

Maleficent chuckles quietly. "I wouldn't recommend using magic while you're... under the influence."

"I can walk." Regina grits out. Or, at least she thinks she can.

Maleficent nods a little.

Regina says her "goodbyes" and then she leaves Gold's cabin on shaky legs.

Getting home isn't exactly easy, and Regina is eternally grateful that the yellow bug is nowhere to be seen. She doesn't need to be seen by anyone like this.

Eventually, she reaches the mansion, and she doesn't hesitate. She simply braves the stairs as best as she can, yanks her clothes off and shuffles under her covers. She wants to sleep. More than anything. But there's one last thing she needs to do. Regina quickly fishes her cellphone out of her coat pocket and texts Emma, informing her that she will be "accompanying" her on the trip to New York.

Emma immediately texts back, asking why exactly, Regina is coming along.

Regina comes up with a lie. Tells Emma that she needs a little time away from Storybrooke. That's gotta be enough information for now. Because Regina has no idea how to explain the truth to Emma. Or anyone else for that matter.

A daughter. _A daughter. She have a daughter._ _They_ _have a daughter. She and Maleficent have a daughter. They created a child through magic. Together._

The thoughts are spinning in Regina's mind, and it takes more than a little while before her half-drugged body finally finds the rest it so desperately needs.

She's still feeling more than just a little faint the next morning. And she still can't quite wrap her head around it. She has a daughter. A daughter filled with darkness. An adult daughter.

And she robbed Maleficent of the opportunity of searching her by trapping her in dragon form for thirty years.

Talk about screwing up. And in a _very_ literal manner too.

Regina is quick to shower and getting dressed. The hot water washes the last remains of the memory potion off, and she's grateful for that. She really needs a clear head for this.

After getting dressed, she goes downstairs and packs a few things for the trip. She neglects to eat breakfast. She's not feeling one bit hungry. More like nauseous, actually.

Regina puts her coat on and then checks her phone. Twenty minutes until Emma will make her appearance. She _could_ have some breakfast if she wanted too, but she's a bit afraid that she might just throw the whole thing up again. So she settles for the "safe" choice. A cup of black, strong coffee. Maybe _that_ will make her stay focused for the rest of the day.

 _Or maybe not_.

She's just considering having an apple just to eat _something_ , when there's a swirl of magic and Maleficent rather suddenly appears in front of her.

Regina nods once as to acknowledge the other woman. Her guards are down, but she somehow doubts that Maleficent will try and attack her now. They appear to be beyond all that.

"When will you be leaving?" Maleficent inquires and frowns a bit as she looks around in the mansion.

"In twenty minutes. Come to say goodbye?" Regina asks calmly.

Now it's Maleficent who nods, and her blue eyes widens as she takes in her surroundings. "This is so different from your castle."

"Yes, I suppose it is." Regina acknowledges.

Maleficent only hums in response and looks around. Her brow furrows when she looks at the dishwasher, and Regina can almost hear the wheels in her head turning. And suddenly she feels a bit sorry for Maleficent. She was very literally brought back from the ashes and thrown head first into a strange town. She probably has no idea about _anything_.

"What if she won't go with you?" Maleficent asks, and her voice drops to a whisper.

Regina doesn't ask what she means. She already knows. And she actually has very few answers to give right now. Because there's a very good chance that Lilith won't come back to Storybrooke with them.

"I will do whatever I can to bring her home." Regina says. It's the best she can do.

Maleficent flashes her a little half-smile. "I'm glad the _Savior_ isn't going to New York alone."

"I'm glad you told me the truth." Regina says dully.

Maleficent shrugs. "I'm trying to turn over a new leaf. And that involves telling the _truth_."

Regina mock shudders. "Nasty business, isn't it?"

Maleficent laughs quietly. "Dreadful. Absolutely dreadful."

Regina chuckles quietly and for a while they just stand next to each other without saying anything.

Maleficent waves her hand and Lilith's rattle appears in her hand again.

Regina watches as Mal shakes the rattle once. Like she can hear the faint echo of a baby laughing. She looks so lost and vulnerable that Regina is suddenly overwhelmed by a silly but nevertheless powerful need to kiss her.

In her mind, she immediately balks and quells her silly impulses, but in reality, she reaches one hand up and wraps it around the rattle so they're both holding on to it.

Maleficent turns half around so they're face to face, and Regina looks into her blue eyes. She knows she's not forgiven. Not yet. Forgiveness is something that must be earned, and not even the latest development can change that.

 _What would happen if I kissed her right now_? Regina muses to herself.

Maleficent suddenly lowers the rattle and takes one small step forward. She never breaks eye contact with Regina. Instead she looks quizzingly at the brunette. Perhaps even a bit challenging. It wouldn't be the first time Maleficent has challenged her.

Regina drops all defenses and takes Maleficent's hand. Then she straightens her posture, so their heights match a bit better. Maleficent doesn't protest or ask her what the hell she's doing. She just waits and squeezes Regina's fingers slightly.

Regina leans in. Even though their lips haven't even touched yet, she can already feel the dragon's hot breath, she can taste the sweetness of her lips.

Maleficent exhales softly and… Is she? Yes, she's definitely turning her head to give Regina better access.

 _The hell with it_. Regina closes her eyes. Their lips are so close now. The slightest movement, and….

"Hey, Regina! You ready? We better going before… oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to… I didn't know..."

Regina immediately pulls away from Maleficent, and Maleficent waves her hand and disappears in a cloud of smoke.

 _Great. Wonderful_. Regina whirls around and comes face to face with Emma Swan. "Yes, I'm ready let's get going."

She leaves no room for arguing, and Emma silently follows her out of the mansion. A very wise choice.

They say their goodbyes to Henry, Regina instructs him to "be good" while Emma's says a rather repulsive "goodbye" to Killian. Then Emma says a somewhat reserved goodbye to her parents. It would seem that there's still some "bad blood" between the little family.

Regina offers Snow and Charming a nod and then both her and Emma climbs into the bug and drives toward the town line.

"So… What was _that_ about?" Emma inquires as soon as they've crossed the town line.

"What was what about, miss Swan?"

"You and Maleficent were kissing." Emma says plainly.

Regina rolls her eyes and keeps her eyes fixated on the road in front of them. A pity she's not driving. "No, we weren't."

"Yeah, well, came bloody close." Emma insists. And she's kind of right about that.

Regina shrugs and tries to remain completely unaffected. "I became a little nostalgic for a second. And so what?"

"Nothing," Emma says quickly. "You don't have to get so defensive, Regina."

Regina silently scolds herself. _Not as unaffected as one could have hoped for._ She's so fucking confused. And she still doesn't completely understand _why_ she suddenly was overwhelmed by "nostalgia".

"Is she backing you into a corner?" Emma asks plainly. "Is that why you've suddenly felt like going on a roadtrip?"

"Do you seriously think I would let _anyone_ back me into a corner? Let alone chase me out of my own town?" Regina retorts.

"Jeez, sorry I asked."

Regina sighs. "I'm sorry. I just have a lot on my plate right now."

"Yeah, I know that feeling," Emma mutters.

"Can I give you a bit of advice?"

"Sure?"

"Drop the silent treatment you're giving your parents," Regina says plainly. "Take it from me, the silent treatment doesn't work."

"Somehow I doubt _you_ ever gave anyone the silent treatment, Regina."

"Oh, believe me, I did." Regina says. "I kept quiet for ten years until I enacted the first part of my revenge against your mother."

Emma doesn't respond to that. Instead she turns the radio on. "Mind if I turn the music on? We have a long drive ahead of us."

Regina nods. But unfortunately, the music isn't quite loud enough to drown the noise in her head.

 **To Be Continued….**


	36. Lily

**Forbidden**

 **Lily:**

The drive to New York is long, irritatingly long. Especially when your head is full of thoughts. That stupid "almost" kiss is getting the better of her. Or, she's allowing it too much headspace.

 _What the hell was I even thinking? Why on earth did I suddenly decide that kissing Maleficent would be a good idea?_ Is that really how it easy it is to slip back into old habits, so to speak? She hasn't thought of Maleficent for _years_ , then she comes back from the ashes, and suddenly, _bam_ Regina's head is filled to the brim with thoughts she considered long gone.

Was it just a moment of nostalgia? A crazy impulse? Pure relief over seeing Maleficent back from the ashes? A ridiculous attempt of apologizing? Or is old feeling really beginning to re-surface?

 _What "old feelings"? She means nothing. Wasn't that what you spat in her face?_

 _That wasn't true._

Of course it wasn't. That was just the Evil Queen being malicious and busy pushing people out of her life. Of course, Maleficent means something, Regina knows that now. She meant something, and the… the _thing_ they had was strong enough to give them a _daughter_.

A daughter who has no idea who her real parents are, and probably don't believe a word Regina tells her. And Regina aren't gonna blame her. Daughter of the Evil Queen and the Mistress of all Evil. It sounds like a very bad joke.

Yes, the drive to New York is long.

Especially when you have one Emma Swan behind the wheel who spends less time looking at the road, and more time stealing glances at Regina.

The Savior keeps eying Regina, and Regina can't blame her. She has barely said two words since Emma turned the radio on and drowned their conversation in music.

Regina sighs quietly. She's getting a thumping headache somewhere behind her temples. Probably a "side-effect" from the memory potion. She's rattled because of all the new information, and she's still trying to wrap her head around that she and Maleficent have a _daughter_. A daughter conceived through _magic_. A daughter conceived because Regina was angry and her magic unstable because of said anger.

A daughter conceived through anger and unstable magic and filled with darkness.

Regina shakes her head. Okay, so the last part isn't directly her fault. The "filled with darkness"-part is all Snow and Charming's doing. And a small part of her, a small part she desperately tries to quieten, is enraged with Snow and David, because how _dare_ they? How dare they steal _her_ child, fill her with darkness and then send her through a portal?!

 _Because they were desperate_. _And desperation can drive a person to do the stupidest things_.

And then there's the explaining matter. Suppose they're able to talk Lilith into coming back to Storybrooke with them. How the hell is Regina supposed to explain the truth to both her and the rest of the town? What's the easiest way to explain to her family that Lilith is in fact hers? That she and Maleficent created her together?

 _There are no easy way_.

"I feel like I'm driving by myself."

Regina finally snaps out of it and looks at Emma. "Sorry. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Wouldn't it have been better to stay behind and work things out, then?"

Regina shakes her head.

"Look, I get that you want to make amends and make up for whatever you did to Maleficent, but bending yourself backwards in the process isn't gonna help, Regina."

"I'm not _bending myself backwards_ ," Regina firmly denies.

"I'm just sayin'.." Emma says as reach another turnabout. "You and Maleficent obviously have some stuff you need to talk about, so I don't understand why she wants you to go to New York."

"I want to help where I _can_ help."

"Admirable," Emma acknowledges and smiles a little. "But with all due respect, it's _Maleficent's_ daughter. Her being gone and filled with darkness doesn't have anything to do with you."

Regina almost _laughs_ at that. Oh, this is turning into a bloody farce.

"I think I know her, by the way."

"Know who?" Regina asks distractedly. She's still recovering from Emma's last stunningly ironic statement. 

"Maleficent's daughter. Lilith."

Regina gapes. "You _do_?" fucking hell, this world is just getting smaller and smaller.

"Yeah. When I was around fifteen I ran into her by chance."

 _Nothing is accidental._ "What… What was she like?" Regina asks hesitantly.

Emma shrugs a little. "Funny. Smart. Wild. Acted a bit like she didn't fit in anywhere, and now we know why. Anyway, I caught her in a lie, and I was stupid enough not to forgive her, so we didn't see each other after that summer."

"That summer?"

"Mm, we broke into houses and pretended to live there," Emma grins.

Regina is more than a little shocked but suffocates the feeling before it grows. Instead she asks the question she has been wondering about the most: "And her adoptive parents? Were they… good to her?" that's probably taking it a bit too far, but Regina doesn't care. She _has_ to know.

"Yeah, I mean, when they came to fetch her, they seemed pretty concerned and stuff. Why are you so interested in that?"

Regina shrugs. "Maleficent needs to know that Lilith was well taken care of while she was... _prevented_ from doing so." _by me_.

"Right."

"What did she look like?" Regina asks. Now she's just desperate for more information. She needs to know _everything_. Especially because there's a fucking good chance that Lilith won't go anywhere with them.

"Dark eyes and dark hair, so surprisingly little like Maleficent," Emma frowns. "I suppose she takes after the father or something like that."

"Mhmm." _Dark eyes and dark hair_. Strange. Regina had pictured Lilith to be an exact copy of Maleficent with blue eyes, blonde hair and light colors. But now Emma is telling her, that's not the case. Does Lilith really look like her?

"Who even _is_ the father?" Emma asks and adjusts the mirror. "Did Maleficent tell you anything about that?"

"N-no."

"Hmm, okay, well, maybe that _is_ a weird information to share with your ex," Emma muses. "But I would like to be a hundredth percent sure that she isn't sending her out on some wild goose chase after the father, too."

"She won't," Regina says firmly before she can stop herself.

Emma raises an eyebrow.

"The father won't be a problem. Trust me."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"So he isn't trapped in some other realm?"

"No."

"And he isn't a dragon?" Emma quips and chuckles. "Imagine that…"

"He's not a dragon."

Now Emma frowns again. "Okay. You sure know a lot given Maleficent didn't say anything about the father. Are you covering for her? Is there some sort bizarre dragon- mating-ritual I don't know about?" the blonde stops for a moment, and then her eyes widen as she jokingly asks: "Oh my god, did she kill him afterwards? Is that how it happens? Did she have the father for lunch?"

Regina feels tempted to either bash her own head in, or potentially bash _Emma's_ head in. Her questions are getting more and more ridiculous. Regina has to put a stop to them somehow. "There is no father."

"Okay." Emma nods. "So it was a one time thing. She doesn't have to be embarrassed about that. We've all been there."

"Oh, I'm sure _you_ have. But that's not the case here. There is no father."

"So that's what she's telling you? I mean, yeah, I was embarrassed about how and where Henry was conceived, but simply denying that there ever was a father is a bit extre…"

"No, Emma," Regina says very, very slowly and looks at the Savior. "Mark my words. _There is no father_."

She can almost see the wheels turning in Emma's head. The Savior frowns for a few seconds, then her mouth falls open as the realization hits her, and she very nearly wraps the bug around a tree.

" _Emma_!" Regina protests as she's slung forward in her seatbelt. "Are you trying to get us killed?!"

The bug comes to a screeching halt, and Emma twists her body awkwardly as she turns around in the driver's seat. " _You_?"

Regina nods in confirmation.

"But, I… What… _How_?!" Emma splutters and flails her hands. "You're not exactly a guy."

Regina palms her forehead. "That we can agree on, dear. But I _am_ a wielder of magic, and a pretty decent one too, if I say so myself…"

"So, you're saying…?"

"Lilith was… _conceived_ through magic." Regina says through gritted teeth. "And if you bothered to study once in a while, you would know that such a thing is in fact possible."

"You and Maleficent have a _daughter_. Together."

"Yes," Regina says. It would seem that she and Emma have reached the same level of disbelief.

"And you've never told us that because…?"

"I didn't know," Regina sighs. "Maleficent erased the… moment it happened."

"Why would she _do_ that?"

"I'm afraid she had very good reasons," Regina mutters. "She was afraid. Of me. Afraid that I would see it as something that could prevent me from getting revenge. She was afraid I would come for her. And the baby."

Emma just looks at her.

Regina turns her head to avoid her gaze. "That's how dangerous I was back then."

"You're not that person anymore." Emma says firmly.

"That may be," Regina half-snips. "But that doesn't change the fact that I impregnated Maleficent and then prevented her from searching for her- _our_ daughter for thirty years. Now you see why I'm _bending myself backwards_ to make up for what I've done?"

"You didn't know she was pregnant. And I seriously doubt you would have done anything to harm her, had you known."

Regina scoffs. "No, but I might have accused her of lying and _then_ killed her."

Emma silently acknowledges that. "And you don't believe she's lying now?"

"Definitely not," Regina says darkly. "She slipped a very strong memory potion into my drink. So strong it sort of transported me back to the moment it happened. No. she's not lying. I am definitely Lilith's other creator."

"How long have you known this?"

"Since last night."

Emma shakes her head. "Lilith is your daughter. Unbelievable. Suddenly, so many things about her makes sense."

Regina frowns. "What's that supposed to mean, miss Swan?"

Emma smartly ignores that. "She looks like you. A lot."

"She… She does?" Regina says, and her throat suddenly feels rather tight again, but she'll be damned if she starts weeping _now_.

"Yep." Emma is grinning now, actually grinning. "Almost spitting image."

Regina swallows something. "Maleficent will be pleased about that, I'm sure."

"You're still not very popular with her then? You appeared to get along just fine this morning."

Regina scoffs. "I got nostalgic for a moment, okay? Nothing happened."

"Maybe not, but what would have happened if I hadn't…"

"She would probably have tried to choke me again," Regina lies. Because she has a fairly good idea about what would have happened if Emma hadn't bursted in.

"If you say so," Emma says as she starts the car again. "Okay, lets get on the road again. We have a lost daughter to find."

Regina nods plainly.

 **To Be Continued?**


	37. Lost Daughter

**Forbidden**

 **Long lost daughter:**

They've barely resumed their drive before Regina's phone starts ringing.

Regina frowns when she retrieves the phone from her pocket. She hopes this isn't something Mayor-related, her head might just explode if that's the case.

"Hello, who's this?"

"Me," Maleficent's calm voice says in the other end.

Regina's frown goes deeper. Why in Hells name is Maleficent calling her? And how does she even know how to use a phone?

"Why are you…?"

"Well, I couldn't very well send you a raven, could I? Even though that _is_ my preferred way to send messages. But of course you already know that."

Regina decides not to comment on _that_. "And where did you get a phone? Did you steal it?"

Maleficent laughs coldly in the other end. "No, I did not _steal_ it. The Savior's pirate friend was kind enough to provide me with one."

"And perhaps even kind enough to teach you how to use it too?"

"Yes, exactly. He taught me how to type in your number and press the green button."

"Isn't he sweet…" Regina says flatly. She isn't sure she likes the idea of Maleficent having her number.

"You don't want to talk to me." It's not a question. More a case of stating the obvious.

"I did not say that," Regina protests. _God, why is everything so difficult_?! "I'm just interested in knowing exactly _why_ you're calling me."

"How far away is New York?"

"Pretty far."

"You've been driving for a long time."

"Yes, well, we're not quite there yet."

"Would you…" Maleficent holds it for a beat. "Call me when you find her?"

And there's that vulnerability that almost made Regina "slip up" this morning. Thank goodness she's nowhere near Maleficent and Storybrooke right now. Regina curls one hand into a fist and silently curses herself for being such a damned fool. "Yes, of course I will."

"Thank you."

"I should go," Regina says. She has a distinct feeling that Emma is paying more attention to her than to the road.

"So we're not gonna talk about what happened this morning?" The question is thrown at her completely nonchalantly, and Regina grinds her teeth.

"Nothing happened this morning," she says, but her mouth suddenly feels rather dry.

"That is not true." Maleficent states calmly. "I admit, the gesture was less angry than what I did to you, but never the less…"

"You _choked_ me until I was on the brink of passing out." Regina dully reminds her.

"And I still stand by that action a hundredth percent. Exactly like I stand by the following kiss."

Emma's eyes snaps away from the road, and Regina reckons there's a very good chance she heard what Maleficent just said. Shoot.

"I'll call you when I know more. Bye." Regina ends the call and stuffs her phone away.

"You _kissed_?" Emma asks immediately, and her green eyes threatens to pop out of her head.

"She kissed _me_." Regina grits out.

"And you conveniently enough forgot to tell me that."

"You are not my confidante," Regina says firmly, even though that might be exactly what Emma is turning into.

"So, what, first she choked you, and then she kissed you?"

"Yes. So nothing has changed between us when it comes to that," Regina jokes grimly.

Emma's face twists into a grimace. "Okay, I did not need to know about your fondness for breath play."

"I was _kidding_." Regina sighs exasperated. She should definitely have brought a couple of aspirins to take the edge of things.

"What was she like?" Emma asks without taking her eyes of the road.

"Who?

"Maleficent. I've only met the scary dragon version of her," Emma says and grins a little.

"Oh. Well she was..." Regina wheedles and tries to find the right words to describe Maleficent. "Funny. Fascinating. A good listener. Patient. Smart. Kind."

Emma raises an eyebrow. "Not quite the words I would have used to describe the Mistress of all Evil."

Regina shrugs. "Sometimes that title was a bit exaggerated." She admits.

"How old were you when you and she..." Emma makes an awkward little gesture.

"Twenty."

"Late teen rebellion?" Emma asks completely without malice.

"I suppose you could say that," Regina nods. "I had been married to the king for two years and I was quite unhappy with the way things were. But I'm sure your mother has already told you about my time as the king's wife."

"Not really. Not much, at least. I don't think she likes to talk about it. I think she still feels guilty."

"Hardly her fault," Regina says and waves her mind absentmindedly.

"But Maleficent showed up and what, swept you off your feet?" Emma teases lightly.

"How _romantic_ ," Regina says dryly. "And I don't know if you're right about that. But she did show up when I was at my most vulnerable."

"She helped you."

"She kept me sane. Or, she _tried_. For as long as she could, anyway."

"Did she ever ask you to stop your revenge plan?"

"No, she taught me magic," Regina says. "But later on, she always became reserved whenever I spoke of my plans. She didn't like it. She didn't like what it was doing to me. And I think she somewhere deep down hoped I wouldn't succeed."

"Because your plan about getting revenge didn't involve her?"

Regina fiddles with her hands. "I think she had a faint hope… After the king was dead…"

"She hoped that you could be together."

Regina nods. "I think so. Of course, we had to keep it a secret while I was still married, but afterwards, yes, I think she had hoped his death would have been her ticket in so to speak…"

"But you didn't want that," Emma states plainly.

"I considered it. But I stopped thinking of her as Maleficent. I only saw her as a dragon and thought about the _advantage_ that could be in the battle I was waging against Snow White. A dragon by my side. She wouldn't have stood a chance."

"Probably not," Emma agrees. "But Maleficent wasn't too fond of that idea?"

"I never asked her," Regina admits. "I had my moments of clarity and came to the conclusion that I couldn't ask that of her. This was _my_ battle. Maleficent wasn't a part of it. I thought it better to push her away instead."

"Do you think she would have said yes if you asked her?"

"Well, _that_ depends on _how_ I asked her," Regina says and chuckles dryly. "I could be quite... _persuasive_."

"Okay, eww." Emma says and wrinkles her nose.

Regina laughs quietly.

"But the thing between you lasted for a long time, am I right?" Emma asks. Clearly, she's more curious than disgusted.

"Years. On and off. Whatever happened, we kept coming back to each other at the end of the day."

"So, despite what you want me to think, you and Maleficent weren't just messing around, were you? At one point there _were_ feelings involved."

"Well, the sky didn't exactly light up in rainbow colors when we kissed," Regina says sardonically and rolls her eyes. "And she certainly couldn't save me from myself…"

"But?"

" _But_ if things were different I could have…" Regina trails off. She's not sure how much to say.

"Yes?" Emma encourages gently. "You can say it to me, Regina."

Regina inhales quietly and fiddles with her hands again. "If things were different, I could have loved her. If I had allowed myself, that is."

This is a huge admittance on her part. Probably the biggest one she has ever made.

"What about now, then?" Emma says calmly and looks away from the road. "Things are different now."

Regina shakes her head. "No, it's too late now. Too much have happened. Too much have been said that can't be taken back."

"You don't know that…"

"Of yes I do. The thing we had ended years ago. I've made my peace with that."

"Have _she_?"

"Yes, I think so. We have to make things work as best as we can. Especially if I can persuade Lilith to come with us."

Emma nods and turns her attention back to the road.

"Besides, it wouldn't be the first time I've co-parented a child with a blonde," Regina quips.

"Only exception that Henry wasn't conceived through magic. He was conceived in the back of a car…"

"I did not need to know that, miss Swan." Regina says and now its her turn to wrinkle her nose. _At least Lilith was conceived in a bed and not on the floor or against a wall. That would have been…_ _bad_.

"What are you gonna tell him?"

"Hmm?"

"Henry," Emma clarifies. "How are you gonna tell him that you have a full-grown baby girl running around somewhere in New York?"

"Well, if she doesn't want to come back to Storybrooke, it's pretty simple."

"And suppose she does?"

"I'll… think of something," Regina mutters. "He doesn't need to know anything right away. Give Lilith time to adjust and all that."

"That _sounds_ very easy," Emma says and shakes her head a little. "But, Regina, this kid looks like you. _A lot_. As in there's no Maleficent in her. At all. The minute you bring her home people _will_ start asking questions."

"I'll think of something."

She's not entirely sure what that _something_ is, but she can improvise, of course she can. _I've been bullshitting my way through these past few days, so what's wrong with a little more improvising_?

New York is a very big city, especially if you're not familiar with the area, so Regina was secretly very relieved to have a "guide" with her who actually knew the city.

"Well, this is definitely something else than Storybrooke," Regina comments as she's confronted with the skyscrapers towering everywhere around them.

"Welcome to the Big Apple, Your Majesty."

"Is that supposed to be funny?" Regina asks. Her sense of humor is failing. Her stomach is tying in knots and she's suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to throw up. There's about a million reasons why Lilith wouldn't come back to Storybrooke. Maybe she won't even believe that Regina really is her mother. _What am I supposed to tell Maleficent then? How am I supposed to tell her that our daughter refused to come back to Storybrooke with me_? _That would certainly give Maleficent all the more reason to hate me. She's relying on me to bring Lily home, and if I fail…._

Regina bites her lip.

"Hey, it's gonna be fine," Emma says and suddenly sounds a lot like Snow White.

Regina groans quietly. "Tell that to the young woman whose world I'm about to turn upside down."

"In a way it's better it's you who's coming here," Emma muses.

"And why is that?"

"As I've already said, Lily looks ridiculously a lot like you. I honestly doubt she would have believed Maleficent."

Regina nods once to acknowledge that. "So what now? We can't just show up at her home."

"Can't we?" Emma retorts.

"No, we _cannot_ ," Regina says firmly. "She would probably slam the door before I got the chance to say anything. Whatever _that_ might be."

"I'm your mother?" Emma suggests and raises an eyebrow. "But I see what you mean. Surprising her at home seems a bit unfair."

"What do we do then?"

"She works at a diner a few blocks away, so I suggest we get a bite to eat." Emma says and turns the car around.

"Alright." but Regina knows she won't be able to eat anything in any foreseeable future.

It doesn't take long before the yellow bug pulls up in front of said diner. Regina knows that this is the part where she gets out of the car, but suddenly her legs aren't quite as willing to cooperate as they normally would be.

"Do you need a moment?" Emma asks.

"A moment would be good." Regina nods and looks out of the window. She's half hoping she can spot Lily on the busy street.

"Do you to go in alone? Because I can totally stay in the car if you..."

"No," Regina interrupts. "You know her. She would probably appreciate a familiar face. And I could need some backup to assure her that I'm not some insane lady."

Emma nods, and Regina takes comfort in the silence again. Her pulse is hammering away, and she tries desperately to calm down. The more she freaks out, the more awkward and strange this will be, she's certain of that. _Calm down, calm down, calm down, CALM DOWN_.

Emma is watching her. Maybe she's afraid that Regina will pass out.

But passing out isn't on the program today. She made it this far. She'll be damned if she can't go through with the rest of the plan.

"Let's go in," Regina says dully. Her palms are sweaty underneath the gloves, and she briefly considers taking them off.

"Right." Emma says and follows Regina as she exits the car and walks toward the diner. Who knew it could be this daunting to walk into a diner? Oh, god, she's nauseous. _Very_ nauseous. _If I mess this up… If I blow this opportunity… What the hell am I supposed to tell Maleficent? I'm not very high on her list as it is already._

They go into the diner and the bell chimes above the door. Regina cringes at the sound. As if she needs a fucking bell to announce her presence.

"Let's go and sit over here," Emma suggests, and Regina lets her lead the way over to a half-greasy table in the corner.

Regina doesn't say anything as they sit down at the table, but she's suddenly feeling warm all over. Maybe she should take her coat off. But then again, it would be a pretty stupid thing to do if they're gonna leave the diner in five minutes anyway.

"Are you hungry?" Emma asks. "We've been on the road all day."

"No."

"Thirsty then? I doubt you've had anything else besides coffee."

"No thank you, I don't need anything."

Emma raises an eyebrow. "You know that _is_ why people come into a diner right? To order food and beverage. They don't go in to just sit and wring their hands."

"Some people do."

"Yes, but only the drunk ones." Emma brushes her off. "So, what are you gonna have?"

"Coffee."

They've been far too engaged in their little discussion about whether to eat or drink or not, that none of them has heard the waitress approach, but now said waitress clears her throat and asks: "Can I take your order?"

Regina looks up when she hears that voice. That voice sounds oddly _familiar_ , and all thought of eating and drinking is long forgotten when she looks at the young brunette standing in front of her. That's Lilith. There's no doubt in Regina's mind. Dark eyes and dark hair. It's like gazing into a mirror. She looks _exactly_ like a younger version of Regina.

And Lilith isn't completely blind to the obvious either. She drops the pen on the floor with a clattering sound and her jaw goes a bit slack. Ten seconds later the paper falls from her hand too and ends up next to the pen on the floor.

Regina doesn't know what to say. Lily is standing right in front of her, and she _doesn't know what to say_. _Oh, she's beautiful_.

"What the…?" Lily asks and stares at Regina.

And Regina doesn't know how to answer that.

 **To Be Continued?**


	38. Lost Daughter part II

**Forbidden**

 **Lost daughter part II:**

"So I guess you're not just here to try our sugar-free cookies?" Lily says, and her dark eyes widens as she looks at Regina.

And Regina can't blame her for that. The similarity between them is so striking it's almost ridiculous.

For a moment mother and daughter just looks at each other. Lily seems at loss for words, and Regina's mouth has suddenly gone rather dry.

Emma doesn't interfere. She just sits patiently and waits as the silence grows between Regina and Lily.

 _I should say something. I shouldn't just sit here like an idiot. Oh, she's beautiful. So beautiful. She looks exactly like me._ But Emma wasn't completely right. Regina can definitely see some similarities between Lily and Maleficent. Lily looks like a perfect mixture of both of them.

"My name is Regina," Regina finally says and congratulates herself with keeping her emotions at bay.

"Lily." Lily says and surprises Regina by outstretching a hand towards her.

"N-nice to meet you, Lily," Regina half-stutters and shakes the young brunette's hand.

Lily seems oddly calm and her dark eyes darts from Regina to Emma. Then her jaw drops slightly again. "Emma? Emma _Swan_?"

"You remember me," Emma says as she half stands from the chair and outstretches her hand toward Lily.

"Yeah. I remember you." Lily says, and her dark eyes narrows slightly.

"Anyway, I'm gonna pop out for a while. I'm sure you two have plenty of things to talk about." Emma says and grabs her jacket as she leaves the diner.

"Won't you sit down?" Regina asks as the door closes behind Emma.

Lily takes her apron of and chugs it on one of the nearby chairs. Then she sits down on the chair across Regina.

Regina's throat feels oddly tight. She knows that this is the part where she explains everything to Lily, but how the hell is she supposed to share her tale without Lily thinks she's insane?

"So, you're my mother," Lily says plainly.

"I am," Regina confirms and sucks in a breath. _Here it comes_. "But…"

"Would you like to go for a drive?" Lily interrupts. "My shift is nearly over, and I would prefer to talk in private."

"Yes, of course. I understand."

So Regina waits until Lily is finished with her shift and then she follows the young brunette outside and into her car.

"I don't live very far from here," Lily tells her. "I figured we could talk at my place, if that's alright with you?"

"Of course. That's fine."

Regina quickly texts Emma about the slight change of plans.

Lily was right, it is a short drive, and it doesn't take long before they arrive outside a block of apartments. Regina follows Lily as she exits the car and walks toward one of the buildings.

Regina cringes a little. This place is _filthy_. Well, okay, maybe not filthy-filthy, but definitely not clean. _Lily lives here because of me. Because I cursed her mother to be trapped underneath the clock tower for thirty years._ Regina's heart contracts painfully at that admittance.

"Welcome," Lily says sardonically as she opens the apartment door and they step inside.

Regina looks around in the apartment. It's actually not that bad. The outside of the building definitely looked worse.

But the state of the apartment isn't what strikes her. It's what on her wall. At first sight, it looks very much like one of those boards the police use when they investigate a case.

But this is no ordinary case. It's Regina's turn to gape when she looks at all the little written-down names on the board: _Regina Mills/The Evil Queen. Maleficent/The Mistress of all Evil. Snow White/ Mary Margaret Blanchard. Prince Charming/ David Nolan. Emma Swan/ The Savior._

"As you can see, I've done my homework," Lily says nonchalantly as she gestures towards the two lines connecting _Regina Mills_ and _Maleficent_. Underneath the two names there's a thin line, and underneath _that_ line, Lily has written her own name.

"You… You _know_?"

"That I'm the daughter of the Evil Queen and The Mistress of all Evil? Yeah, I know," Lily says coldly.

"How did you…?"

"I ran into someone who knew more than he appeared to," Lily waves her off. "And I also happen to know that I was kidnapped at birth and shoved through a portal. By _Snow White_ and _Prince Charming_." She almost spits the last part out, and Regina feels shocked. It's like hearing herself.

"That's true." Regina confirms quietly.

"But what I _don't_ know is why _you're_ here." Lily says and folds her arms. "It's a bit late to play my mother."

"I know," Regina acknowledges. "But it would appear that you don't know the full story. I didn't know of your existence until two days ago."

"And my _other mother_?" Lily sneers. "Why isn't _she_ here?"

"She couldn't. She can't leave town. It's a bit complicated…"

"Oh, I bet it is," Lily says and rolls her dark eyes. "Do you know what the so-called _heroes_ did to me?! They filled me with darkness just to save their precious daughter! They snuck into my mother's cave and took me while she was at her most vulnerable and unable to fight back!"

"I already know all of this," Regina says quietly. "Your mother told me."

"And what, you're just fine with that?" Lily sneers. "They don't deserve to be punished?! They made my life a living _hell_. You of all people should relate to that!"

"And I do," Regina says and takes a step closer to Lily. "Believe me, I do. What they did to you is awful, but…"

"But _what_?" Lily says and steps backwards like a frightened animal. "Are you gonna tell me that they're not those people anymore? That they've _changed_? That they're _sorry_ for what they did?!"

Regina ignores that. "Punishing them for what they didn't isn't gonna solve anything. It won't help the matter. You may think it will feel satisfying, but believe me, it won't. It'll just leave you empty."

"Like _you_?" Lily spats.

Regina takes that blow. "I know they've wronged you terribly, and I know that me showing up here comes about thirty years too late, but…"

"But _what_?"

"Your mother has dreamed about this for thirty years," Regina says sincerely. "She never stopped thinking about you. Not for a second. And the moment I found out about you… I was ready to drive to New York that same night."

Lily's anger seems to teether a little at that, but her voice is still angry when she says: "I'm filled with darkness. Because of _them_. That's hardly the daughter you want."

"Believe me," Regina says and dares to take a step closer to Lily. "You are _exactly_ what we want. "And as for your darkness… That won't be a problem. We happen to be quite the experts in darkness."

"So, what do you suggest?" Lily asks, and her shoulder drops from the defensive posture.

"Come back to Storybrooke with me," Regina says gently. "Meet your mother. Neither one of us is gonna try and make you stay if you don't want to. But at least drive back with me and meet her."

Lily chews on her bottom lip and meets Regina's eyes for the first time. "And I'm free to go whenever I want to? Neither one of you will try and convince me to stay?"

"No." Regina says, even though it hurts her heart a little. "You can leave whenever you want. After five minutes or five days. It's entirely up to you."

Lily goes quiet for a while and she wanders up and down the hardwood floor as she considers it. Even in _that_ little gesture, Regina sees fragments of herself. She sees herself, twenty years old walking up and down the castle floor like a trapped cat.

Regina wisely keeps her mouth shut as Lily considers the offer. But she can't help but to silently beg. _Please say yes, please say yes. Please say you'll come with me_. _I can't just let you go now when I've finally met you. And Maleficent… What am I supposed to tell her if you say no? She'll be devastated. We both will. Please say ye…_

"Okay." Lily says and shrugs.

Regina blinks. "O-okay?" she repeats a bit dumbly. It's not often she's caught off guard.

"I'll come back to… _Storybrooke_ with you and meet my… _mother_. But that's it. If I don't like it there…"

"Of course," Regina says. "You'll be free to go."

But determined to leave at once or not, Lily _does_ in fact pack a back with a few of her belongings, and Regina immediately clings to the hope. _Hope_. She's turning into fucking Snow White.

"Coming?" Lily asks and slings the back over her shoulder.

"Yes." Regina says quickly and follows her… her _daughter_ out of the depressing apartment.

Emma waits in front of the bug outside the block of apartments. She raises an eyebrow when she spots Lily with the bag.

"We're gonna be one more in the car," Regina says.

"Great." Emma replies and smiles a little.

"And…" Regina adds and stops Emma by gripping her elbow lightly. "She knows everything." She quietly says through gritted teeth.

Emma's brow raises. " _Everything_?"

"Everything," Regina confirms and puts ever so slightly pressure on the word to make sure Emma understands what she's getting at.

And Emma does. "Oh."

"I don't think neither you or your parents ranks very highly on her list right now," Regina whispers quietly.

Emma's green eyes darkens a little. "I can't blame her. I mean, she basically got the wrong end of the deal."

"Basically, yes," Regina says and her own irrational anger towards Snow and David stirs inside her.

"And exactly _how_ angry is she with my parents?" Emma inquires as Lily stuffs her bag into the yellow bug. "Is she angry enough to try and…"

"I don't know," Regina says truthfully. "I mean, with Maleficent and myself as her mother's…. I wouldn't brush her anger off."

"God, they really screwed that one up badly," Emma mutters.

"They did what they thought was best for you." Regina says automatically.

"Yeah, but they basically sold your daughter to the darkness in the process."

"I'm aware." Regina says grimly. "But there's little to be done about that now, so I suggest we get back on the road."

"Yeah, great idea."

None of them say much as they reach the main road again. Lily's eyes are dark again and she keeps clenching and unclenching her hand.

Emma keeps her eyes fixated on the road, and Regina feels more and more unnerved with each passing moment. This situation is fragile to put it lightly. She can sense Lily's anger. It fills the backseat and makes the air thick.

Then she remembers what she promised on the journey here. She promised to call Maleficent the moment she found Lily.

But she isn't too sure of that. She might have found their daughter and succeeded in bringing her home, but what's gonna happen when they arrive in Storybrooke and Lily comes face to face with the people who send her through that damned portal?

But still, a promise is a promise, right?

Regina finds her phone in her pocket and turns to Lily. "I promised to call your... Maleficent when I found you. Would it be alright if I did that, or would you rather I didn't?"

"Call her," Lily shrugs. "But don't give her the impression I'm gonna stick around."

"Alright." Regina quickly taps in Maleficent's… _phone number_ and waits for a moment. A familiar beeping sound. Static noise. And then…

"Regina?"

"It's me," Regina confirms quietly.

Maleficent's voice comes out breathy: "Have you found her?"

"I have," Regina says and steals another glance at Lily. Her heart swells and she already loves her beautiful, angry daughter so much.

"And?" Maleficent sounds guarded but also filled with vague hope.

" _And_ she's here. In the car. With me. We're on our way back to Storybrooke."

A loud clattering sound makes her wince and remove the phone from her ear. Did Maleficent drop the phone or set it alight by accident?

"Is she…?"

"I suggest you wait and ask her yourself," Regina says. She can't very well sit and feed Maleficent with information about their daughter whilst said daughter is fuming with rage for the people who wronged her.

"Of course, of course. Can I just ask… _who_ does she look like?"

"Me," Regina says truthfully. "Quite a bit, actually."

Maleficent makes a little strangled sound at that. "And is she… alright?"

"Well…" Regina wheedles. She isn't sure how to answer that. Because physically, Lily is fine. Fine as a fiddle. It's the turmoil in her head that makes the answer to that question inconclusive.

"She's angry, isn't she?" Maleficent asks, and once again demonstrates her ability to read Regina like an open book.

"Absolutely," Regina says. Now they're talking in code.

"As expected then. Hurry back."

"We will. See you later." Regina says and ends the call. Her head is swimming with all the new information she has been given today, and she almost doesn't hear that Lily is asking her something.

"Pardon? What did you say?" she asks carefully.

"Are you still together?"

"Who?" Regina asks and frowns in confusion.

"You and… my _other mother_ ," Lily says sarcastically.

"Oh..." Regina feels an unexpected blush rise in her cheeks. "No, we're not together."

"I see. Just _good friends_ then," Lily says and grimaces.

Emma gives Regina a look in the rear-view mirror. A look Regina refuses to return. She can already hear the question the Savior doesn't dare asking her, and Regina of course has the perfect answer ready.

She and Maleficent are connected because of Lily. They will always be, but that's it. They have a daughter together, but that's all there is to it.

A moments nostalgia doesn't change _that_.


	39. Temperament

**Forbidden**

 **Temperament:**

Regina's head is throbbing by the time they reach the town line. Too many events have happened in a too short time-span. She's slowly but steadily going into some sort of overload.

Lily isn't particularly conversational, she mostly keeps quiet during the entire drive, but she has asked Regina a few questions. One of them being whether she has other children.

So Regina tells her about Henry, and she can feel how Lily silently judges her for having another child, even though Regina didn't know of Lily's existence.

It's a long drive.

"Maleficent... _Is_ she really a dragon or is she just some screwed up version of her movie counterpart?" Lily asks as they pass the town line.

Emma's mouth twitches a little.

"She's a dragon." Regina confirms with a nod.

"You've seen her as a dragon then?"

"Yes."

"Do you have magic?" Lily asks a bit out of nowhere.

"I have." Regina confirms.

"Does your son?"

"No, he doesn't."

"And Henry's father?" Lily asks and almost glares at Regina. "Are you still with _him_?"

"Henry's adopted," Regina says, and her throat feels a bit tight again. "I… Can't have children."

She feels Emma's eyes on her. This is a piece of information she hasn't shared with anyone. Except Maleficent.

"Oh." Lily says, and her voice is softer now. "At first... Before I pieced things together… I thought _you_ were the one who carried me. Because of…" she trails off and motions toward herself and then Regina.

Regina nods. She knows very well what Lily means. The similarity between them is almost ridiculous. As soon as Lily shows her face in Storybrooke, Snow and David _will_ start to piece things together, and then the _how-_ questions will start popping up like weed.

"I'm actually Henry's birth mother." Emma interjects and interrupts Regina's train of thoughts.

Lily frowns. "So you're saying that Snow White and Prince Charming is my… _brothers_ grandparents?"

"We don't think too much about the family tree," Regina says. "That would only give you a headache."

"Right."

Regina only now realizes that Lily called Henry her brother. The brunette's heart swells a little again. Maybe it's not completely impossible to be a family. Or, at least something similar to a family.

"Welcome to Storybrooke," Emma announces half-sarcastically as the yellow bug pulls up in front of the town hall.

 _Oh, great… A welcome home committee_ , Regina thinks bitterly to herself. That's about the last thing they need right now. Snow and Charming should have known better. But here they are, lined up in front of the town hall with Killian and Henry. And Maleficent who's standing as far away as possible from Snow and David. Snow keeps shooting worried glances at Maleficent, who simply looks right through the younger woman.

 _This is a tense situation. There's that headache again._

Emma swiftly climbs out of the car and walks straight into Killian's waiting arms. She barely acknowledges her parents. That's a tense situation too.

Regina steals a glance at Maleficent. The blonde sorceress is wringing her hands nervously.

Lily has made no attempt at getting out of the car, so Regina takes a risk and puts a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry for the welcome home committee. I didn't know..."

"It's fine," Lily says and surprisingly enough she doesn't shrug Regina's hand away. "Is that your son?"

"Yes, that's Henry," Regina confirms with a little smile.

"And that…" Lily mutters and motions vaguely toward Maleficent.

"That's your mother," Regina says. "Do you feel like going out there and meet her?"

"Well, I don't suppose we can stay in this car all day," Lily mutters, and Regina laughs before she can stop herself.

And then the most amazing thing happens. _Lily laughs_. The sound goes straight to Regina's heart, and she immediately picks up on how much Lilith sounds like Maleficent. They have the same laugh.

Lily looks out of the car window and then turns to Regina. "They don't know, do they? That you're my…?"

"No," Regina admits. "I've only known about you for two days, and once I found out, I wanted to find you right away. Something as trivial as _telling_ people didn't really occur to me."

Lily's mouth curves upwards again. "For some crazy reason, I think I could grow to like you, Regina."

Regina chuckles a little at that. Thirty years too late or not, she and Lily most definitely have a connection already.

"We better…" Lily says and opens the car door.

Regina follows her out of the car. She straightens her posture, tips her chin up and counts silently. Killian is the first one to zero in on the pair. Then David. And then Snow.

 _And in five, four, three, two…_

Killian stares.

David stares.

Snow stares. Her green eyes widen, and her jaw goes slack.

Henry gapes. And then he looks from Lily to Regina. He locks eyes with his mother, and Regina nods discreetly to confirm his suspicion. She knows that he knows. Of course, he knows. This is Henry. He has inherited his wits from both of his mothers. Of _course_ he knows. And of course, he has questions too. And Regina has every intention of answering every single one of them. There will be no lies between her and Henry. She will tell him everything. Okay, maybe not _everything_ in details, but she'll give him a full-filling, slightly edited explanation.

Snow and David…. _Well, they can wait_ , Regina decides. She doesn't really owe them an explanation. Maybe they'll figure out by themselves. Or maybe they'll ask the right question. And if they do, Regina is gonna answer it truthfully.

But for now, she's just reuniting Maleficent with her daughter. A daughter who just so happens to look a _lot_ like Regina.

"Maleficent, this is Lily." She says quite un-necessarily as they approach Maleficent.

Maleficent's blue eyes sparkles as she looks at Lily, and Regina steps backwards. She had her "reunion". Now it's Maleficent's turn.

"Hi." Lily says a bit awkwardly and outstretches her hand to Maleficent.

"Hello, Lily," Maleficent says gently. "It's nice to meet you."

"Yeah... Likewise," Lily mutters as Maleficent shakes her hand once. The young brunette cranes her neck to look at Regina. "Is it possible to get something to eat? I'm starving."

"Yes, of course," Regina says quickly. "Granny's Diner is just down the street."

"You can go alone, if you prefer." Maleficent interjects, and Regina thanks her lucky stars that she's heeding the subtle "warning" Regina gave her.

"No, it's fine. I would like you to come," Lily says but her eyes narrow as she looks at Snow and David who are both stealing glances at the odd reunion.

"They won't bother us," Maleficent says firmly.

"They're too smart for that," Regina interjects and dearly hopes she's right. _Maybe I should send Emma a text and ask her to keep her parents out of Granny's._

Lily seems to accept that. She takes Regina's word for it, and the odd little "family" moves away from the pavement and towards Granny's Diner.

But suddenly Lily stops and looks at Henry. For a moment, she looks ever so conflicted, but then her scowl fades away and she almost sounds friendly when she asks: "Henry, right?"

"Yeah." Henry says and looks at Regina for a second before she silently urges him to step forward.

"I'm Lily," Lily tells him.

"Nice to meet you." Henry says politely and extends his hand out towards her.

"Yeah. You too." Lily says, and she's almost smiling as she shakes his hand.

Regina exhales quietly. _No apparent anger towards Henry, then_. She's well aware that both Snow and David and Killian are watching the little word exchange between Lily and Henry, but Regina refuses to "give a statement" right then and there. If they have questions, they can ask her behind closed door.

Regina, Maleficent and Lily heads toward Granny's Diner. They're barely settled down in a booth before Regina's phone beeps. It's a text from Henry. And a pretty damn straight forward text too:

" _ **Is Lily my sister?**_ "

" _Yes_." Regina simply texts back. She doesn't have a more fitting answer right now.

" **Cool. Does Emma know**?"

" _She does. But I would like to break it to Snow and David myself._ "

" **Sure thing."**

Regina leaves the conversation to Maleficent for a moment as she texts her son: " _Are you okay with this_?"

" **Yeah, of course I am. She seems alright. I'm guessing you didn't know about her, otherwise you would have told me about her, right?** "

" _Of course I would. You know that_."

" **Is she staying in Storybrooke**?"

" _I don't know yet. We'll have to wait and see what she decides._ "

" **I hope she stays**."

" _Me too_."

Regina stuffs her phone away and does her best to participate in Maleficent and Lily's somewhat strained conversation. What do you even say to a daughter who's thirty years old and meeting her parents for the first time?

"I'm actually kind of tired," Lily says and swallows the last piece of her burger.

"Of course. It's been a long day," Maleficent acknowledges.

Lily turns to Regina. "Is there a place I can get a room or something?"

"You can rent a room right here," Granny interrupts as she comes to clear their table.

"Great. I'll just grab my stuff. You don't have to follow me. I can manage." Lily says and leaves the diner.

Maleficent swallows something.

"She's tired," Regina says quickly. "Give her time."

"She's _here_. That's all that matters," Maleficent says firmly and then turns her head to look at Regina. " _You_ appear to be tired too."

"Thanks a lot," Regina scoffs. "I haven't slept for 48 hours. That memory potion of yours messed with my head."

Maleficent shrugs. "Your memories ranked higher than your sleep."

"But it would appear that there is a moment of quiet now," Regina snips. "So I think I'll take the opportunity and get some sleep."

"What have you told the Savior?" Maleficent asks plainly as Regina stands from the chair.

"The truth. That she's ours," Regina says.

"And your son?"

"Is aware of the truth as well. I won't lie to Henry. _Goodnight_." Regina says sardonically.

"Regina?"

"Yes?" she stops at the door.

"Thank you." Maleficent says quietly.

"No reason to thank me," Regina chuckles dryly. "She's mine too."

She leaves the diner and can almost feel her pulse slow down when she spots the mansion.

 _God, what a day_. They've just drove to New York and back again in one go. Regina is exhausted. So exhausted she can't even drag herself upstairs. Every bone and joint in her body is buzzing.

She ends up on the couch. Face down. She doesn't even remove her coat or boots. That'll have to wait until she can actually think again.

Lily is here. That's the only thing that matters. Her daughter is here. Exhaustion is a small price to pay for that.

But Regina knows that bringing her to Storybrooke isn't enough. It's gonna take time before Lily starts looking at them as her family and not strangers.

And then there's Henry. Regina needs to sort things out with him, too. It's not done with a couple of texts. He's gonna need a proper explanation.

And Snow and David. They'll need some sort of explanation too, unless they've already pieced things together.

She'll sort things out. With all of them. Maleficent, too. There's still some bad blood between them, and if this is gonna work in the future, Regina will have to clear the air with her somehow.

 _And I'll do that. I will. But first I just have to… I have to…_

Regina falls asleep and dreams of daughters falling through portals and smoldering flames reflected in blue eyes.

She's not sure how long she's been sleeping, but she has a nasty hunch that it's not long enough. But apparently, it's urgent that she wakes up this instant. Someone is banging aggressively on her front door.

Regina almost falls of the couch and jogs into the hall to open the door. She's met by Emma Swan's pale face and shockingly big green eyes.

"There's a dragon on the loose at the edge of the forest, and it's not Maleficent!"

Regina doesn't need to think twice about that statement. She simply flicks her wrist and transport both herself and Emma to the edge of the forest.

Emma was right. There is indeed a dragon "on the loose". And a dragon not entirely in control over her actions that is. Lily is trying her best to gain full control over her newly gain wings and Regina quickly spots the target she's spitting fire at. Snow White.

 _Oh, fuck_. Regina storms over to them and it doesn't take her long to spot the ring of fire Lily has entrapped Snow White in.

"Put that fire out," she tells Emma. "I'll try and stall her."

She raises her hands and unleashes her magic on her very angry dragon daughter. _This is not what I expected when I counted on fighting a dragon_. Her magic isn't quite measuring up to a dragon, but Lily is young and not in control over her dragon form just yet. Regina manages to switch her focus from Snow White to herself. And Emma manages to put the fire out and drag Snow away from the chaos.

Regina uses one hand to hold Lily where she is, and with her other hand she grabs her phone and tosses it to Emma. "Call Maleficent. I could use some back up here."

For once, Emma does as she's told. Regina doesn't hear much of the conversation with Maleficent. She's a little too busy trying to control Lily.

"What did she say?" the brunette asks through gritted teeth. This is getting harder and harder.

"She asked you to stall her as best as you could!" Emma yells through the noise Lily is making.

"And what is _she_ gonna do?" Regina yells back and notices how her hands have begun to tremble slightly. _I can't hold her off much longer_.

"Something she hasn't done in a while, she said. Do you need help with that?" Emma inquires and covers her face as Lily releases a series of sparks through her nostrils.

"No, I need you to stand back and keep your bumbling parents out of the way!" Regina hisses and turns her attention back to the very angry dragon who is trying her best to fight the magic Regina is using to restrain her.

"I can't let you hurt them, Lily!" Regina shouts through the noise. "And I know you can hear me."

Lily roars and the sound is utterly terrifying.

"If you want to be angry with someone, be angry with _me_!" Regina yells. "I can put up a much better fight! Come on, show me your worst!"

And Lily is certainly doing just that. She's fighting Regina's magic valiantly. She tries her best to break through the magical barrier Regina has created around them, and Regina hopes that her little trick is gonna work. That Lily's energy will be drained before her own will.

But Lily is strong, her energy is bubbling, and it's been a while since Regina has been in this kind of battle. Her magic might hold up now, but there's no way she'll be able to keep Lily at bay for long.

Suddenly the ground trembles beneath Regina's feet. Her hair is blown around by a sudden change of the wind, and then she hears the sound of another pair of wings. Regina looks up just in time to see Maleficent leap off the ground and fly up in front of Lily, blocking her view to Snow and Charming. And Regina.

 _Maleficent. Thank god_. Regina lowers her hands. Her palms are burning, and she isn't sure whether it's from the magic or the dragon fire.

Now it's Maleficent who roars and Lily roars something back.

"What are they doing?!" Emma inquires through the noise.

"Having a heart to heart I imagine," Regina says and turns to Snow and David. "What _happened_?!"

"I just wanted to talk to her," Snow says quietly. Her face is completely drained of color. "I-I wanted to apologize."

"You _idiot_!" Regina says exasperated and throws her hands in the air. "Didn't it occur to you how dangerous that could be?!"

"I don't think _anyone_ could have foreseen this, Regina," David says and puts an arm around Snow.

"I don't care. If she injures herself because of you…" Regina snarls, and Snow raises an eyebrow.

"Don't give me that look," Regina hisses. "You're fine. She didn't even burn you!"

And in the sky, Maleficent is still trying to "reason" with Lily. And it would appear to be working. Or maybe the sudden transformation has drained her. Either way, Lily suddenly looses heights until her massive body collides with the earth with a shattering _thud_.

Regina doesn't even think of the potential danger. She simply lowers her barrier and runs over to her dragon daughter.

Lily is engulfed in magic, and then she returns to her human form. There's another earth shattering thud, and then Maleficent lands on the ground, is engulfed in smoke and then brought back to her human form as well.

"Is she okay?!" Regina demands as she grasps her limp daughters hand.

Maleficent puts a hand on Lily's forehead. "She's alright. Passed out, exactly like I did the first time I transformed."

"Oh, thank _god_ ," Regina says. "Lily, can you hear me?"

Lily groans, palms her forehead and then: "Mom…"

"It's okay. You're okay," Regina assures. She doesn't care one bit that Snow and David heard that. Now they know.

"Can you walk?" Maleficent asks concerned.

"I-I think so…" Lily groans as she clumsily gets on her feet.

Regina takes her one arm and Maleficent takes her other. Together they help Lily out of the forest and away from prying eyes.

They end up taking her back to Granny's. She's already out cold again by the time they place her on the bed.

"She'll probably be out for a few hours," Maleficent says. "That's what happened to me."

"Should we stay and watch over her?" Regina asks.

"No, I don't think that'll be necessary. She'll sleep."

"Okay."

So they end up leaving their sleeping daughter. To give her some peace. Regina heads back to the mansion and reminds herself to bathe her burning palms before she passes out….

 **To Be Continued?**


	40. Nostalgia

**Forbidden**

 **Nostalgia:**

 _Now they know_ , Regina tells herself as she finally reaches the mansion and removes her booths and coat.

The secret is "out". They know that Lily is her daughter. Regina is aware that Snow probably have a couple of questions to ask in that matter, but the hell with it. Regina will just have to answer them as best as she can. Or maybe she and Maleficent could answer the questions together. Make it an edition of "ask the dragon".

Regina huffs quietly as she finally locks the door and drags her body into the living room. She should bathe her swollen and burned palms, that's what she should do. But the magic is still rolling through her veins like wild fire. She will need a moment to calm down. A moment to calm her magic down.

So Lily is a dragon. Or: _of course Lily is a dragon_. How could Regina be so foolish not to think of that? And why the _fuck_ did Snow White think she could reason with a _dragon_? Heart filled with hope and optimism or not, that was just _stupid_.

 _She didn't harm me_ , Regina thinks quite proudly to herself. Her palms might be slightly burned, but that's about it. Lily didn't actually try and have a go at her.

 _She could have forced her way through that barrier had she really wanted to. But she didn't. She didn't want to hurt me_.

Regina's heart swells as she stares into the smoldering flames in the fireplace, and she takes another sip of the glass of wine she just poured herself. It might be thirty years too late to be Lily's "mother", but maybe it's not too late to be a family after all.

 _She called me mom. I'm sure she did._

Regina sighs deeply, puffs out the air all the way from her belly and takes another sip of the wine. And then another. What a _day_. What a long, trying, exhausting day. She should go to bed. That's what she should. She should go to bed with her phone laying on her bedside table in case of emergency. Hopefully, Lily will still be here when she wakes up. _No, Maleficent said she would be out for hours. Of course she'll still be here in the morning_.

But Regina makes absolutely no attempt at standing from the couch. Instead she pours herself another glass of wine, downs it and then pours herself another. Then she clumsily waves one hand over her palm. The swelling goes down a little, but her palm remains red and slightly puffy still. _Oh right_. Dragon fire. She can't just _fix_ it that easily. Dragon fire requires something extra.

Something extra, Regina doesn't have right now. To put it plainly, she's too tired to produce any kind of magic right now. Hell, she's probably too worn out to make an object float.

Talk about _float_. Her brain is beginning to feel a little foggy, the effect of the alcohol finally setting in. Her body becomes more and more limp until she's actually lying down on the couch. Which is actually quite uncomfortable given how she's still wearing her tight pencil skirt but changing into something more comfortable is out of the question. Magic is still coursing through her body, and the best thing she can do right now, is to try and sleep the feeling away.

It's been quite a while since her magic has been like this. It reminds her of when she was younger and angrier and often out of control. But she knows it's not because of anger, her magic is acting up. It's because of what she had to do with it. Use it on Lily. Every maternal instinct in her body is protesting against restraining her own daughter. _Like Cora restrained me_.

 _No. NO. That was different,_ Regina scolds herself. She's just a little drunk. _Cora used magic to manipulate. I used to make sure Lily didn't harm herself or anybody else for that matter. It was different._

Different or not, Regina will have to make sure, restraining Lily won't be necessary in any near future. Which means having a little "chat" with Snow White and David about not to come near Lily.

Regina closes her eyes. She needs to rest. By all the gods, she needs to rest. She's drunk and she needs sleep. But with the magic still crackling in her veins and a head filled to the brim with new information, it seems impossible to go to sleep.

She'll settle for lying curled up on her couch with the glass of wine in her hand, then. Sleep will come naturally. _Maybe if I drink enough_. But until then… Regina shifts slightly, curls up and tries to focus on the sounds of the smoldering flames in her fireplace. Maybe that will be enough to make her calm down. She takes another gulp of the wine.

 _Knock, knock_.

Regina instantly stiffens. There's no way she heard that correctly. Maybe it was just the fire making noises. Yes, that's probably it.

 _Knock, knock._

" _No_!" Regina mutters and covers her ears. _Seriously, if that's the next disaster, I'm not home_. She's in no way fit to welcome guests right now. She's buzzed, _very_ buzzed in fact, and she's _definitely_ not feeling very gregarious.

 _Knock, knock_. This time a bit more forcefully.

"Go away. Go away, go away, go away, go away." Regina mumbles defiantly into the soft plush of her sofa cushions. Whoever it is out there can _definitely_ wait. It's nobody important, Regina knows that. Henry has his own key, and if he had forgot it, he would call her. Not bang on the door like a maniac. And if it was Snow White, Regina would have been alerted by her high-pitched "Regina!" by now. _Oh, god don't let it be Snow White right now_.

 _Knock, knock_.

"God damnit!" Regina half-shouts to the silent mansion as she clumsily stands from the couch, smoothens her hair and wrinkled pencil shirt. She then marches into the hall and rips the door open. "Is it really that impossible to get a moment of…"

It's Maleficent who's standing on her porch.

"…peace." Regina half-heartedly finishes her sentence. _Damnit._ She was not prepared for _that_. And shouting in the dragon's face is probably not the best approach. Of all nights, why _now_ when she's had more wine than advisable?

But Regina soon picks up on something. Maleficent's eyes are slightly unfocused, and her steps not quite as steady as they were earlier. It would appear that they've had the same idea tonight.

"I don't even know why I'm here," Maleficent says dully. "You see, I was busy getting myself well and truly drunk, but now I'm here and I don't know how it happened."

"Would you like to come inside?" Regina offers. _My, this is turning into a very difficult day_.

"Yes, that would be lovely," Maleficent says and wobbles slightly as she crosses the threshold.

Regina steps aside and lets Maleficent come inside. Then Regina firmly closes and locks the door. One unexpected visitor at the time, please.

Exactly like the last time she was here, Maleficent looks around with both interest and confusion. Especially the sound coming from the dishwasher seems to alert her.

"It's called a d-dishwasher," Regina says and tries _not_ to slur her words.

"Oh. I have no idea what that is," Maleficent frowns as she half-stumbles into the living room.

"It's a kind of machine that washes your plates and cups for you." Regina clarifies. It's by no means a fulfilling answer, but she's drunk and in this very moment she has no fucking clue as to why she even _owns_ a dishwasher.

They end up sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace, and Maleficent's eyes quickly wanders toward the half-empty glass of wine on the coffee table.

"Do you want a glass of wine?" Regina quickly offers. She might have reached her limit already, but the hell with it. She's already drunk, what's the harm in drinking a bit more?

"That would be lovely." Maleficent says. "I do so feel like drinking tonight."

Regina ignores her burning palms and conjures another glass of wine which she hands to Maleficent.

"Cheers." Maleficent says and takes a sip of the wine.

Regina takes a sip of her own wine too and struggles to find something to talk about. Something sober. "Is Lily gonna be okay?"

"I think so." Maleficent nods and the wineglass threatens to slip between her fingers. "She was sleeping peacefully when I left her."

"Good. That's good."

Maleficent sets her wine glass down on the table. "What are you thinking right now?"

"I'm thinking that I'm very drunk. And that our daughter is a dragon with a boiling temper." Regina says plainly. "And I'm thinking it's gonna take a while before she learns how to control it."

"We'll help her," Maleficent soothes, and then with a little smile: "She's a lot like you."

Regina chuckles dryly. "She's a winged, fire breathing creature. I don't think that has anything to do with me."

"Her dragon form might be all my doing," Maleficent acknowledges. "But her appearance, the way she talks and acts, even her anger... That's all you."

"Maybe it is." Regina says and sets her own wineglass down on the coffee table with a little a too loud _thud_.

"You did good today," Maleficent says spontaneously.

"I restrained my own daughter with magic. Sounds familiar?" Regina says bitterly and reaches for the wineglass again. It will require alcohol if they're gonna talk about Cora.

Maleficent takes Regina's wineglass and takes a sip of it before Regina gets the chance. "It was necessary. You did good."

Regina scoffs. "Thanks. So did you."

"We're good parents," Maleficent says with a touch of irony and downs the rest of the remaining wine in Regina's glass

Regina chuckles dryly and scratches her chin. _We're both drunk of our asses. Some parents we are._

Maleficent's blue eyes suddenly widens a little and her hand shoots out and grabs Regina's wrist.

"It's nothing," Regina says hastily and tries to wiggle her hand out of Maleficent's grip. Of course the dragon has noticed her red and raw palms.

"It's _not_ nothing." Maleficent corrects quietly. "She burned you."

"She just overheated my magic," Regina dismisses. "And I'm fine. And you shouldn't use magic while you're drunk."

Maleficent completely overhears that. Instead she turns Regina's palm up and grazes it lightly with her fingertip.

It feels exactly like someone pouring cold water on a burn, and Regina exhales quietly as Maleficent heals her palm.

"Better?" Maleficent asks and releases her hand.

"Yes. Thank you."

"You have _two_ hands. Give me the other one." Maleficent insists. "I'm _quite_ capable of using magic when I'm not sober."

Regina silently extends her other hand out towards Maleficent, and she heals it swiftly. But this time she doesn't let go of Regina's hand. Instead she starts brushing her thumb up and down Regina's wrist.

Regina's eyes widen at that little gesture. This feels familiar. A little too familiar. Shockingly familiar.

"I thought you hated me," she says plainly.

"No." Maleficent sighs and stares into the fireplace. "I mean, I _did_ hate you for a while. And I tried keep that up when I first arrived here, but… It doesn't seem to work.

Regina swallows something. _What, I'm an emotional drunk now_? "The things I said to you…"

"Yes?" Maleficent says and finally shifts her attention from the flickering flames to Regina.

"About you… meaning nothing to me," Regina says strained. _I should have poured myself another glass of wine_. She wants to clear her throat. But if she does that, her voice might break, and that would be awful. "I didn't mean that." She finally says and now it's her turn to look into the flames.

"So you _did_ care for me," Maleficent says and smiles a little. "I always had a hunch, but it's nice to finally hear you confirm it."

"Suspicion confirmed," Regina says and bites her lip. The alcohol is clearly making her babble things that should be said while sober. "And I think it's pretty needless to say that if I could take all that back…"

She doesn't get a chance to finish her sentence. Suddenly, Maleficent releases her hand, cups her face and crashes her lips against Regina's.

And maybe the timing is off. Maybe it's a terrible idea because they're both drunk as in "no-exhibitions"-drunk. Maybe it's a bad thing, to re-kindle whatever thing there was between them, but for once, Regina doesn't care. She returns the kiss, by all the gods she responds to that kiss, and euphoria immediately fills her veins. Because despite what she has been trying to tell herself, she hasn't forgotten what it's like to kiss Maleficent.

It's fire in her veins. It's warmth spreading through her system, and it has very little to do with the alcohol.

Maleficent's hooks her arms under her shoulders, pulls Regina more firmly against her, even though their tongues are battling with each other, the kiss is less aggressive than the one they shared in Gold's cabin. They're drunk, yes. But somehow this feels just _right_.

They kiss and kiss and kiss until Regina needs air. She had expected her common sense to return to her system along with the oxygen, but it doesn't happen. The only sentence her brain seems to be capable of forming is: _fuck it, I don't care_. _I don't give a damn whether this is a good idea or not_.

And Maleficent doesn't care, either. Her hands travel down from the top of Regina's shoulders and clumsily starts unbuttoning her blouse instead. Quite the task when your fingers are trembling from too much alcohol.

Regina takes a breath. Why fight it? Why argue with something that was gonna happen sooner or later anyway? Why fight the inevitable?

Maleficent opens the last button and pushes the blouse off Regina's shoulders. She runs her warm fingers up and down Regina's belly and then tugs a little at the red bra strap. "What _is_ this?" she asks exasperated and pulls at the strap, making it snap back against Regina's skin.

"It's called a b-bra," Regina says strained as Maleficent runs her finger up and down her breast.

"And you can… feel me touching you through it?" Maleficent frowns as her finger rubs against Regina's nipple through the fabric.

"Y-yes. I can," Regina confirms and swallows.

"Oh." Maleficent gives her collarbone a feather light kiss.

Regina starts working on the buttons in Maleficent's blouse, and _that's_ difficult too. her drunken mind is surprisingly clear for some reason, and it occurs to her that the couch is _definitely_ not build for this. The bedroom is well, _the bedroom_ and going up the stairs in this condition is out of the question.

No, they'll have to do this _here_. But not on the couch.

Regina lifts her head and looks at the smoldering flames again. _Oh, well, since we're both feeling nostalgic._

"Come," she says plainly as she manages to climb off the couch.

Maleficent doesn't protest in the slightest as Regina clumsily grabs her hand and drags her over to the fireplace. She just kisses Regina as they rather gracelessly falls down on the soft rug.

"Déjà vu," Maleficent comments as her lips brushes over Regina's neck.

"Indeed." Regina answers and opens the remaining buttons in Maleficent's blouse. Then she pushes the fabric off Maleficent's shoulders. Maleficent is indeed wearing a bra, too, and Regina briefly wonders how she managed to figure out this worlds underwear. Maybe she has just opted for getting dressed with magic. Yes, that's probably the case.

Maleficent shudders as Regina finds her pulse point and sucks lightly. "My memory didn't serve me correctly."

Regina chuckles hoarsely at that. But the chuckles turn into soft moans when Maleficent shifts, so Regina is in her lap.

Now it's Maleficent's turn to scrape her teeth over Regina's neck and Regina almost whimpers when the blonde squeezes her arse firmly.

"Oh, so you _do_ still like that. Just checking." Maleficent grins and gives Regina's backside a very gentle swat.

"Not m-much have changed there," Regina moans and swallows thickly as Maleficent squeezes her arse again and then rubs it rather shamelessly.

"Clearly not. How do I get this off?" Maleficent inquires and makes Regina's bra strap snap back against her skin again.

"Just use magic." Regina groans.

"I've never once used magic to undress you, and I'm certainly not intending on breaking that rule tonight. Intoxicated or not." Maleficent says firmly and the strap smacks back against Regina's skin with a loud _pop_.

Regina sighs deeply and reaches behind her. She swiftly unclasps the bra and then shrugs it off.

Maleficent's hands immediately lands on her breasts and Regina groans as the blonde starts kneading firmly. Maleficent bows her head slightly and runs her tongue over Regina's collarbone. Then her tongue brushes over Regina's nipple.

 _Oh, god_. Suddenly Regina feels entirely to overdressed in her pencil skirt. She wiggles slightly and fiddles with the side zipper.

Maleficent shifts them again, so Regina is suddenly lying with her back on the rug. That's actually better. It doesn't faze her that Maleficent is the one on top. She wiggles out of the pencil skirt and kicks the material of.

Maleficent's eyes never stop roaming up and down Regina's body as she unzips her pants and wiggles out of them. She tries her best to mimic Regina as she reaches behind her and tries to unclasp her bra.

 _For heaven's sake, this is torture to watch._ Regina pushes herself into a sitting position. So, her suspicion was correct. Maleficent _is_ in fact using magic to dress herself every day.

"Let _me_ ," Regina mutters impatiently and pushes Maleficent's hands away. In one, swift attempt she unclasps Maleficent bra and the garment falls to the floor.

Maleficent smiles slightly and pushes a dark lock of hair behind Regina's ear. "I remember when _you_ were the one who needed help with undressing, my darling."

 _My darling_. Regina swallows something again as they lie back down on the rug. Slip of tongue or not, that pet name is still making warmth spread through her system.

Maleficent crashes her mouth against Regina's again, and Regina moans into the kiss. They're very much skin to skin now and neither one of them seem to have forgotten how the other felt.

And now Maleficent's smart mouth is _everywhere_. On her neck, her collarbone, her sternum, her breast. The blonde's tongue darts out and licks a hard nipple. Regina cries out at that and her fingers closes around the rug.

"Oh, you haven't changed one bit," Maleficent murmurs into her chest. "Still as responsive as ever."

"Neither have y-you," Regina hisses as Maleficent's tongue darts over her other nipple. She needs to return the wonderful _things_ Maleficent is doing. She slides her hands up and cups Maleficent's breasts, kneads them softly.

Maleficent moans and murmurs something that could have been "missed you", but Regina abandons all thought of finding out. Because Maleficent's hand is suddenly travelling down, stroking her thigh softly.

Regina hisses. She wants no clothes, no barriers between them. She doesn't want to drag this thing out. _We might not get the chance again._ _I_ _might not get the chance again_.

So she bats Maleficent's hand away and lifts her hips slightly, she's about to remove the last piece of clothing, but Maleficent is clearly unable to wait. She wiggles one hand inside the material and cups Regina.

Regina hisses quietly as Maleficent's fingers starts probing around. The dragon is almost a bit aggressive as she flicks Regina's clit between her fingers. Maybe it's the alcohol that's making her impatient.

"Slow down, we're not waging war," Regina reminds her and her hips bucks slightly.

"No, but I would prefer not to waste any time." Maleficent retorts and starts probing around Regina's entrance. But the movement is too rough, too rushed.

"Slow down," Regina gently repeats and grasps Maleficent's wrist to still her movements. "You don't want to hurt me, do you?"

"Of _course_ not," Maleficent says and her fingers stills momentarily. "Forgive me, my darling. I'm out of practice."

"It's fine," Regina assures. "Just… go slow."

Maleficent nods once and her mouth finds Regina's again. Her fingers start probing around again, but this time she's much gentler, and the way she strokes between Regina's thighs, makes the brunette cry out again.

"Better?" Maleficent asks quietly.

"Y-yeah," Regina breathes. _Much better_.

Maleficent slips a finger inside her, but this time Regina is ready for the intrusion, and she moans and bites her lip. _Oh, god this is fucking perfect. I don't even remember it being this good!_

Maleficent heeds her warning and goes slow as she starts moving within Regina. Regina's hips act on their own accord and moves in tandem. It doesn't take long before she's asking for more.

Maleficent complies and slides a second finger inside Regina. The slow and steady pace she builds up is exactly what Regina needs right now. As are Maleficent's mouth on her breast.

But as much as Regina enjoys this, she doesn't want Maleficent to go untouched, that doesn't seem fair, so she reluctantly lets go of the other woman's breast and brings her hand down in between in, pushes Maleficent's underwear out of the way and finds the blonde's clit with the tip of her finger.

Maleficent's movements within her stills for a moment, and she gasps. But then Regina's ministrations only seem to encourage her, and she picks up the pace gradually.

Regina wants this to last. _God_ , how she wants this to last. But she's too drunk, and it's been too long since she was last touched like this. She can't compose herself. Neither can Maleficent. But it's Regina who comes undone first, with Maleficent's name on her lips. Her thighs quakes and everything around her blackens momentarily as pleasure rolls through her veins.

Maleficent follows suit a few seconds later, Regina hasn't even stopped pulsating around her yet.

Regina feels how she almost melts into the rug scratching her back, and Maleficent more or less collapses on top of her, fingers still buried snugly inside Regina.

 _Oh, god, oh god, oh god._ Regina seems to be feeling everything right now. Pleasure, obviously. But also, a deep sense of joy and relief. _Maleficent is here. Maleficent is alive._

But at the same time, she's also ashamed over herself and the guilt is still eating away at her. _I hurt her. I laughed in her face. I pushed her away. I shunned her. I took away her humanity for thirty years, and then I had her killed._

The overwhelming sense of guilt seems to cloud everything else, and Regina is horrified when she feels something sting in her eyes. _What, now I'm_ _crying_ _? Lovely. What the hell is the MATTER with me?_ It's the alcohol that does this to her. It's the alcohol that makes her so ridiculously sentimental all the sudden. How attractive.

Maleficent finally removes her fingers and she frowns as she looks at Regina's face.

"I'm sorry," Regina whispers. "For everything. _Wonderful_. Now she's not even in control over her fucking mouth anymore.

"Don't cry." Maleficent says gently and gathers Regina in her arms like she has done it a million times before.

Regina cringes as Maleficent strokes her hair. She is definitely unworthy of any tenderness.

"You didn't just care for me," Maleficent murmurs into her hair. "You _do_ care for me."

Regina just nods. Because it's true. In hindsight, she never really stopped caring for Maleficent. Even when dark magic and poor choices poisoned her mind, she still cared for Maleficent. In her own, twisted way. At the end of the day, she always came back to Maleficent.

"I've missed you," Maleficent says spontaneously. "And I think I'm done being angry with you."

Regina chuckles hoarsely. "I thought I had to _earn_ your forgiveness."

"I think you're pretty close to earning that forgiveness. We can be happy in the future or we can be angry about the past," Maleficent philosophies, and _that's_ most definitely the alcohol talking.

"Will you stay? Tonight, I mean?" Regina asks and raises on her elbow to look at Maleficent.

Maleficent smiles a little as she leans and brushes her lips against Regina's. "Yes, darling. If that's what you want."

 _Tomorrow,_ Regina thinks to herself as she curls up in Maleficent's arms. _I'll deal with everything tomorrow. Questions and Lily, and hangovers. Everything._

But for now…

Regina curls into Maleficent's side and closes her eyes. Consequences be damned.

 _ **To Be Continued….**_


	41. The Next Disaster

**Forbidden**

 **The Next Disaster:**

Her skirt is ringing.

That's the first dumb thought that enters Regina's mind the following morning. But after rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she corrects herself. Her skirt _isn't_ ringing. Her _phone_ lying inside the _pocket_ of her skirt is ringing.

Regina carefully ducks out under Maleficent's long arm and scrabbles after the phone in her pocket. Never a moments peace. She could have used a minute to wake up. To acknowledge the warm body next to her and more importantly, to acknowledge what happened between them last night, good god her head is hurting. But sadly, life isn't exactly encouraging these kinds of ponderings right now.

"He…" her voice is hoarse from sleeping and drinking and she quickly clears her throat and tries again. "Hello?"

"Regina!" Emma's voice comes in the other end. "I've been trying to call you for the past _hour_!"

"What happened?" Regina mutters. _What now_? She raises on one elbow. Maleficent is waking up next to her, and Regina flashes her a halfhearted smile.

"Is it Lily?" Regina asks when her brain finally starts to work. "Is she okay?"

Next to her, Maleficent stiffens and her hand curls into a fist

"It's not Lily. She's fine. Still out cold according to Granny. It's Gold."

 _Fuck. Rumplestiltskin._ Regina completely forgot all about him and his plans. She was so focused on finding Lily.

"What about Gold?" Regina inquires and Maleficent's hand immediately relaxes again.

"He's planning something," Emma says. "He wouldn't say what, but I think perhaps Belle knows more. She said it was something about the Author."

 _Shit. The Author_. Regina completely forgot all about _that_ too. Operation Mongoose had quickly gained the lowest spot on her priority list. _Damnit._

"Can't the bookworm unleash her lovey-dovey powers on him and stop him?" Regina suggests through gritted teeth. _Here comes the next crisis_. Why is it that she's always needed when she's hungovered? _And have carpet burns on my back_.

Maleficent raises an eyebrow.

"Possibly. But either way, we need to hold a crisis meeting," Emma says firmly. "And prepare for whatever hell he's going to unleash."

"Okay, okay," Regina surrenders. God, her throat is completely dry, and her head is pounding. This is _definitely_ not her day. "That sounds reasonable enough."

"The library? Ten minutes?" Emma says.

Regina confirms that and then ends the call. Great. A _crisis_ meeting. In ten minutes. When she's hungover. _And_ has carpet burns on her back. God, she should have known better than to drink. It always comes back to bite her in the ass somehow.

"What's going on?" Maleficent asks calmly. At least she sounds just as tired as Regina.

"Rumple is planning something. The Charmings have summoned me for an extra ordinaire crisis meeting down at the library," Regina quickly explains as she untangles herself from the blankets. She doesn't have time for a shower. That will have to wait. Damnit. Everything is happening _way_ too fast these days. And she could have used a shower. She feels sticky.

"I'll go with you," Maleficent says and pulls her legs out of the tangled mess of blankets.

Regina frowns. "Weren't you trying to retire from chaos?"

"I'm a citizen of Storybrooke too," Maleficent calmly retorts. "I deserve to know what's going on."

Regina immediately acknowledges that, but there's still one problem…

"Snow and David are gonna be there," she warns.

"And nobody is forcing me to talk to them," Maleficent states plainly. "I'm just there to listen."

"Okay," Regina surrenders. "Get dressed then. We only have about ten minutes."

Maleficent gracefully stands from the blankets and waves her hand, trading her nudity for another one of her trouser and blouse outfits. Another wave of her hand, and her blonde goes from being in unruly tangles to elegant curls flowing down her back. Then she turns to Regina. "How's the head?"

Regina quickly re-dresses by magic too and runs a finger through her hair. "Not good," she sighs. "I'm never drinking again."

Maleficent flashes her a little smile. "That sounds like something I've heard before."

Regina sighs gravely.

This is another hectic morning, and she's not quite sure how to handle things. She's definitely _not_ prepared to discuss Rumplestiltskin's shenanigans right now. She would much rather take a moment to acknowledge that she and Maleficent got drunk and slept together last night. But of course, there's a _crisis._ Of course, there are more important things to take care of. Isn't there always?

Maleficent raises an eyebrow, and Regina knows its only a matter of time before she asks what's wrong, and apparently, there are far more important things to do than to think about something as trivial as _feelings_.

"We better get going," Regina mutters.

Within ten minutes Regina and Maleficent arrives in front of the library, and Regina pushes the door open and steps inside, followed closely by Maleficent.

"Regina! There you…" Snow White trails off completely when she spots Maleficent behind Regina.

Maleficent gives the princess a "fight me"-look. "I think I'm as much entitled to be here as you, _princess_."

The last word is more or less hissed out through gritted teeth, and Regina can't blame Snow for cringing. "Yes, of course you are. I'm so…" Snow says but cuts herself off abruptly at the look Maleficent is giving her.

Regina is tempted to roll her eyes. Is Snow White seriously choosing to apologize for _that_?

Emma looks from Regina to Maleficent, then back to Regina. And then the Savior raises an eyebrow and gives Regina a quizzing look.

Regina ignores that. Instead she turns to Belle who's standing behind Emma and Killian. "What is your husband up too now?"

Belle quickly explains the situation to them. Apparently, Gold has somehow managed to find the Author. And he wants to shift the entire balance. Turn villains into heroes and vice-versa.

"So, he's sticking to the original plan," Maleficent says and folds her arms.

"The original plan?" Regina echoes and turns to the dragon. Clearly there's something Maleficent hasn't told her.

"That was what him, Cruella, Ursula and myself were planning when we first arrived here," Maleficent says and as opposed to how she looks at the other ones present in the library, her eyes don't flicker when she looks at Regina. "Before Ursula got cold… _fins_ , and the thing with Cruella went south, we had this grand plan about wanting to shift the entire balance. Make the villains victorious and the heroes, well…"

"I thought he wanted to darken Emma?" Killian protests and wraps one arm around said blonde.

Maleficent shrugs. "the dark one is excellent when it comes to multitasking."

"One thing at the time," Regina says. Her head is definitely gonna explode one of these days. _Why did I drink last night_? She turns to Belle. "You have to convince him not to. I doubt he gives a damn about the remaining villains. He's probably convinced that he found an ideal way to keep you by his side."

"What do you want me to do?" Belle asks.

"Persuade him to abandon his plan. If he's doing this out of love for you, you're the only one who can stop him."

"It wouldn't be the first time people have acted irrationally in the name of love," Maleficent says quietly, and Regina immediately thinks of Lily.

"I'll talk to him." Belle says. "If anyone can get through to him…" she doesn't finish the sentence. She simply leaves the library.

"Is Henry aware of what's going on?" Regina asks Emma.

"That's a fine point. Killian, do you mind?"

"I'll explain it to the lad," Killian says, gives Emma a kiss on the cheek and then follows Belle out of the library.

 _Did we just put our entire fate in the hands of a bookworm_?

Regina then turns to Maleficent. "Do you happen to know how he's planning to enact this thing?"

"I don't," Maleficent says. "He wouldn't tell me anything after I went to the Savior to get help with finding Lily."

Regina ignores her curious audience. "And can I count on your help to solve this?"

"Of course," Maleficent nods. She too ignores Emma and Snow and David, and she looks directly at Regina when she says: "I'm on _your_ side."

Regina breathes a sigh of relief. Good. That is good. _Very_ good, actually. It would appear that they're mending things slowly.

"What do you want me to do?" Maleficent asks plainly.

"Go alert our daughter," Regina says and thereby confirms Snow and David's suspicion. Why keep beating around the bush?

Maleficent's flashes her a little smile at the admission. "Of course. I will." She turns around to leave the library, but now Snow speaks up, and Regina silently admires her courage.

"So Lily _is_ your daughter," the pixie haired woman says and looks at Regina.

"Yes, that's correct." Regina confirms.

Snow's green eyes widens as she looks at Regina and Maleficent, and David looks like he's slowly starting to realize things. He doesn't bombard them with a million of questions, he just utters a very quiet: "Oh."

Maleficent has kept quiet during their little exchange, but now she seemingly can't keep her mouth shut: "I suppose this makes it a lot harder for you, doesn't it? To know that you didn't just take _my_ daughter. To know that you in fact kidnapped _Regina's_ daughter? Your _friend's_ daughter. Doesn't that just make you want to go back in time and change it all?"

"Yes, it does. But not just because Lily is Regina's daughter too." David says seriously, and Emma shifts uncomfortably.

Maleficent sneers at both Snow and David. "I made a vow to Regina not to hurt you but come near Lily again and I will not be held responsible for my actions."

The dragon sorceress then spins around on her heel to leave the library, but before she leaves, she gives Regina's wrist a light squeeze

Regina tries to wrap her head around the newest crisis, and she barely hears Snow send David away to alert the dwarves. _Oh god, I'm so hungover_. _I can't deal with this right now_.

"Yes?" Regina says when she finally picks up on the fact that Snow is looking at her.

"Lily is your daughter." Snow echoes.

"Yes, we've already established that." Regina says distracted and wonders what the next step is gonna be. If Belle can't put a stop to Gold's horrendous plans, they're pretty much screwed. And where is the Author even? Where is Gold keeping him?

"How… I… _How_?" Snow says, and Regina can see that she's desperately trying to make sense of it all.

"Magic." Regina says shortly. "It's rare, but it _can_ happen when one part is out of control. And that part just so happened to be me."

Snow opens her mouth, but Regina beats her to it: "I didn't know about Lily's existence until three days ago. Maleficent took the memory from me to keep her safe."

"She's your daughter… and we took her," Snow says quietly.

"Maleficent is the one who suffered the most," Regina sternly reminds her former stepdaughter. "She's the one you need to make it up to. Not me."

Snow nods, and then, very quietly: "How long have you known Maleficent?"

"A very long time." Regina says plainly.

She doesn't say anything else. But she can see that Snow knows. Knows that Lily's creation wasn't just a one time thing as they say.

Emma has kept quiet during Snow's little "interrogation", but now she flashes Regina a little smile.

And then the library door is flung open and Lily comes rushing inside. "Regina-mom, what's happening? Mom's just told me…" she stops abruptly when she sees Snow, and her brown eyes darkens.

"Eyes on me," Regina warns, and as Lily continues to look at Snow: "Lily. Look me at me."

Lily tears her gaze away and the smoke coming out of her nostrils quickly vaporizes. _Thank god_.

"So, what's happening?" the young brunette asks again.

Regina closes the distance between them but makes no attempt at touching her daughter. "I'm afraid the Dark One is scheming to get things the way he wants."

"Yeah, Malefi- _mom_ told me as much." Lily mutters.

Regina sighs. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this. This is hardly what you expected when I brought you here."

"And I didn't expect turning into a dragon either," Lily scoffs. "But I did, and now I'm here. And I've decided to stay. At least for a week. I'm not sure what I'll do afterwards."

Regina nods. _One week is better than nothing_. _Seven days is better than seven hours._

"So, what are we gonna do?" Lily asks.

"His wife- ex-wife is currently trying to knock some sense into him. Let's hope she succeeds," Regina mutters. "Otherwise I don't really know…"

"He sounds like a right bastard," Lily comments dryly, and Regina almost laughs.

"He's definitely good at looking out for himself," Regina half-agrees.

Lily's attention suddenly shifts from Regina to Snow, and her dark eyes narrows again.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" Regina asks. _Don't blow up the library, please. Not that too. One disaster at the time_.

Lily shrugs and shakes her head.

"Well, if you go back to Granny's, you'll probably find Henry," Regina says.

Lily smiles a little. "Maybe I should. Seems only fair I'm getting to know my brother." She touches Regina's shoulder lightly and then she leaves the library.

 _So, my daughter doesn't hate me after all. That's gotta count for something. And she's staying for a week. She's not just taking off._

Pretty soon Snow White leaves the library to assist her husband with "alerting their friends", leaving just Emma and Regina in the library.

"I should get back to my vault," Regina mutters. "It doesn't harm to go through my old books. Just in case…"

"I'll go with you," Emma immediately offers.

Soon they arrive at Regina's vault, and Regina immediately starts scouring her books, she's already gone through them about a million times in her search for the Author, but she can't exactly ask Gold where he's keeping said Author. And if it really comes to a showdown between the "heroes" and the Dark One, she'll need to brush up on her magic.

"So?" Emma says as they plow through the books.

"Hmm?" Regina says distracted. There's gotta be _something_ they can use. _Why is it that Rumplestiltskin has to involve the entire town in his marriage problems_?

"Any particular reason Maleficent was attending the crisis meeting?"

"She lives here, miss Swan," Regina says without looking up from the book. "She's entitled to know what's going on."

"Is something _going on_ between the two of you?" Emma asks plainly.

"That is not relevant right now."

"You arrived together," Emma points out.

"I'm aware," Regina says through gritted teeth. "Look, I really don't have time for girl talk right now, Emma. In case you haven't noticed, the next crisis is looming above us."

But Emma seems relatively un-phased by that, and she doesn't even look up from the books as she asks: "Are you together now?"

Regina breathes slowly and counts to ten. "I'm trying to make things right with her, okay? It's the least I can do. Snow and David aren't the only ones who wronged her, remember?"

Emma doesn't ask anymore. Instead she bows her head over the books like Regina.

But they haven't been busying themselves with the stacks of books before Regina hears the sound of footsteps coming into the crypt, and then someone clears their throat quietly to alert her.

Regina looks up from the books and sees Maleficent standing in the shadows.

Emma looks up from the books too and looks pending at Regina.

"Regina, a moment of your time?" Maleficent asks plainly and looks right through Emma.

Regina nods wordlessly.

"I think I'll go and find my parents," Emma lamely excuses herself. "See you later, Regina."

"Yes." Regina says and nods.

Emma leaves the vault and Regina listens as the sound of her footsteps becomes fainter and fainter.

Maleficent comes closer and her fingertips barely brushes Regina's as she says: "We should probably talk about last night."

"Yes, that would probably be wise." Regina says and looks up from the pile of books.

Maleficent absentmindedly runs her finger up and down the book spine. "I'm glad you agree. I feared you would dismiss it as nothing."

"Well, that would be rather cowardly of me," Regina says dryly.

"Lots of things happened last night." Maleficent acknowledges. "Lots of things I hadn't thought would happen..."

"But it did" Regina nods.

"What I'm interested in hearing…" Maleficent says and releases her grip on the spell book. It falls back on the table with a _thud_. "Did it _mean_ something? Or do you consider it to be a drunken mistake?"

Regina turns away from the pile of books and looks at Maleficent. "It meant something." She says firmly. And she means it. She's perfectly aware of what she felt last night. What she still feels. "I stand by everything that happened last night." _crying and drunken apology included_.

Maleficent's face lights up in a smile, and she takes Regina's hand. For a moment, Regina thinks that she's going to kiss it, but she simply holds it.

"Good." Maleficent says plainly, but that smile never leaves her face.

Regina can't help but smile too. "How do you feel about reading about how to defeat a dark one?"

"I couldn't think of a better way to spend my morning."

 **To Be Continued?**


	42. Welcome To Storybrooke

**Forbidden**

 **Welcome To Storybrooke:**

For twenty-four hours, for twenty-four insanely crazy hours, everything goes to hell.

Rumplestiltskin enacts his plan. Reality is quite literally turned upside down, and everyone is transported back to the Enchanted Forest.

Regina ends up as a bandit. A bow and arrow wielding bandit, on the run from the Evil Queen- _Snow White_.

It's so utterly ridiculous. So plain _stupid_. Regina as a bandit, Snow White as the Evil Queen, and Emma as a madwoman locked in a tower.

And Maleficent… Well, _she_ ends up trapped in her dragon form once again, enslaved to serve Queen Snow White. Forced to do her bidding because the "Evil Queen Snow White" has stolen Maleficent's egg, and thereby has a way of keeping her by her side, a way to make sure the dragon does everything Snow White asks her to.

For a while, everything looks pretty sour. Henry finds a way to enter the "Heroes and Villains"-reality, but that is very little help. Regina doesn't remember him. Doesn't remember _anything_. The only thing she knows, is that she has to find away out of the Enchanted Forest. And sometimes, the forest is invaded by an enormous dragon. But strangely enough, the dragon never hurts Regina. It just looks at her, watches her almost curiously, and Regina finds the presence of the creature to be soothing. Almost calming. Like they understand each other, somehow.

When Henry continuously shows up and tries his best to get Regina to remember, Regina merely scoffs and tries to chase him away.

But Henry is obviously stubborn. He tries everything, keeps babbling on about happy endings and True Love's kiss.

Once again, Regina chases him away. And this time, this time it works. He disappears. For a while. Then he shows up _again_. This time with a blonde woman, known as "The Savior".

She, too, keeps going on and on about happy endings.

And that's when Regina says it. That's when she drops the "interesting" remark that's gonna nag her for the rest of the day.

"My happy ending isn't a _man_ ," Regina scoffs and shakes her head, sending the braid tumbling over one shoulder.

Emma's green eyes widens as she says: "Of course not."

It's after that everything _really_ goes sour. The dragon, wounded and stripped of her ability to fly and breathe fire seeks out Regina. The Evil Queen Snow White recruits Rumplestiltskin, The _Light_ One to find both Regina and the dragon.

It comes to a showdown. Regina refuses to stand aside and let Rumplestiltskin hurt her dragon friend, Rumplestiltskin immobilizes Emma and draws his sword on Henry instead when the teenager tries to interfere. Regina had acted on instinct and pushed Henry out of the way, and that had resulted in Regina taking a deep cut directly in the gut and collapses on the forest floor, with Henry, Emma and the dragon standing above her.

Isaac, the Author had taunted them, said it was "too little, too late," Emma had finally reached her limit and punched Isaac, making him fall and drop his precious Author pen.

Henry had then dropped said pen up. The pen had started glowing, thereby making Henry the next Author.

He had saved all of them. He had brought them all back to Storybrooke again. Unharmed and alive.

After everyone had been returned back home to Storybrooke, things had been chaotic. Everyone had run around, searched for each other, making sure their significant others were alive and well.

And it hadn't taken long after Regina had regained consciousness in the middle of the streets of Storybrooke, that Snow had found her, apologizing repeatedly.

"I'm so sorry, Regina," the princess says again and again.

"We were cursed, dear," Regina says as she accepts Henry's outstretched hand and allows him to help her up from the ground.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Henry asks.

"I'm fine," Regina assures.

That's when Emma and Killian come storming out of the Charming residence. Emma first embraces Henry, whispering: "you did it, kid," and then surprisingly enough engulfing Snow in a tight hug.

Regina smiles a little at that. It would seem that The Savior is finally willing to let go of the past.

"I don't know about you," David says. "But I could use a drink."

"Aye. I second that," Killian says, and David gives his shoulder a light slap.

It seems almost incredible that all of them managed to survive that ordeal, and Regina feels as if they're somehow jinxing it by going to Granny's.

But it still feels like the only right thing to do right now. They're all shook up from the events, and a drink certainly seems appropriate.

It quickly turns into quite the celebration. Granny's gets crowded by every member of Storybrooke, and there's free drinks for everybody.

Regina scans the room, didn't really know what she was searching for until she spots Maleficent sitting on one of the tall barstool, nursing her own drink.

Regina takes a deep breath. _She's okay. Maleficent is okay. Thank god._

So is Lily. She comes over to their booth, ignores Snow and David but exchanges a few words with Regina.

"So, we survived," the young brunette says nonchalantly.

Regina can't help but smile at that. "Indeed we did."

"Lily grins a little. "I hadn't exactly counted on being returned to a fetal like state."

"No that must have been strange," Regina frowns.

Lily chuckles and gives Regina's shoulder a light squeeze. "I think I prefer the fire breathing state."

Regina chuckles too. "Maybe you should ask your mother to give you dragon lessons."

"Yeah, I think I will," Lily muses. "She can teach me how to be a scary dragon bitch. But anyway, I think I'll leave the party early, see you later, Regi- _mom_."

Both Regina and Henry smiles widely at that.

"She's awesome," Henry says plainly as Lily leaves Granny's Diner.

"That she is." Regina fully agrees with her son. "She's lovely."

Henry then chuckles a little. "I have a _sister_."

"You do." Regina says and ruffles his hair slightly.

" _And_ she's a dragon," the teenager continues and shakes his head a little.

"Yeah. I'll need a little time to get used to _that,_ too." Regina quips.

"Do you think she's gonna stay? I mean, permanently?" Snow asks.

"I hope so." Regina says. "If she does… well, we'll have to figure things out. All of us." She can't keep switching from one family to another. She'll have to do her very best to help Lily with coming to terms with what happened to her. Make sure Lily knows that Regina doesn't mind her being filled with darkness. And make sure Lily knows that she's _not_ the Anti-Savior.

Speaking of figuring things out…

Regina looks at Maleficent again. If this "Heroes and Villain"-thing has taught her anything, it's gotta be that she and Maleficent somehow find each other in whatever realm created.

 _I went in between Gold and Maleficent. I was willing to fight him._

Who is she kidding?

She cared for Maleficent as a young insecure queen. And guess what, she _still_ cares for her. Has never stopped caring for her.

And maybe it's messed up. Maybe it's twisted as fuck. Maybe it's too late to mend anything, but seriously, what's the harm in trying?

Regina becomes vaguely aware that both Emma, Snow, David, Killian and Henry is looking at her, and she tears her gaze away from Maleficent.

But she's done being a coward. Instead of remaining on her seat, nursing her drink, she rises from her spot, says a quick: "Excuse me" to her family, and then she walks over to the tall barstools.

Maleficent looks up when she approaches.

"Is that seat taken?" Regina asks.

"No." Maleficent says.

Regina sits down next to her. She doesn't order a drink, no more drinking. Instead she says: "Do you realize we never had a proper chance to actually talk?"

"Yes, I do realize that," Maleficent says calmly.

Regina clasps her hands together. "We could go somewhere and have that talk now, if you…"

"That won't be necessary," Maleficent calmly interrupts, and then, looking straight at Regina. "I forgive you."

"You… You _do_?" Regina says and feels how a gigantic weight is being lifted from her shoulders.

"Yes." Maleficent says plainly and turns her palm upward. A clear invitation.

And for once, Regina doesn't care that her family is watching her. She lightly puts her hand in Maleficent's.

Maleficent's long fingers closes around hers, and then the dragon says: "I still have no idea what to make of this town. Cruella and Ursula weren't very good guides. Can I trust you to be a better one?"

"You can," Regina confirms with a little smile. "Seems only fair that the Mayor gives you the full tour of Storybrooke."

Now Maleficent is smiling too. "We could start that tour now."

"We could."

Maleficent suddenly rises from her spot. "Go for a walk with me."

Regina just nods. She doesn't bother looking at Emma or Snow or David or Killian as she leaves the Diner, but Henry grins a little. Of course he already knows what Regina has been too bull-headed to admit.

They walk around in Storybrooke without an actual purpose, and Regina points out the various buildings for Maleficent. The drugstore, the school, the library, the townhall, the pharmacy.

"What is a pharmacy?" Maleficent asks and wrinkles her nose at the foreign word.

"It's a place where you buy medicine," Regina explains.

"Ah. I still have a lot to learn about the modern world. Including finding out _what_ a dishwasher is," Maleficent says and smiles a little.

"You remember that." Regina observes.

"I remember everything," Maleficent says plainly.

They continue their walk, and then, they finally have that long overdue talk. And even though Maleficent claims that it's quite unnecessary, Regina apologies again. A sincere apology this time. A _sober_ apology.

"Snow and David might have wronged you, but so did I," Regina acknowledges. "Pushing you away… Was probably one of the worst things I have ever done."

Maleficent nods silently.

"But back then, I felt like I had no choice," Regina continues. They've stopped walking and have ended up under a lamppost.

"And why is that?" Maleficent asks calmly.

Regina looks at the blonde sorceress. She already knows the answer, Regina is certain of that, but since she's already spilling her guts….

"I cared too much about you," Regina says plainly. "And that scared me. I was terrified of feeling the way I felt. I didn't _want_ any of that."

"So you pushed me away."

"Yes."

"Do you think…" Maleficent gives her a sideway glance. "Do you think we could have been happy?"

"Yes. I think we could." Regina says and remember how light she always felt whenever she was with Maleficent.

Maleficent stays quiet for very long. The only sound is the rustling in the trees, and Regina wonders. Wonders about a lot of things. And suddenly she hears Emma's words in her head: _How about now? Things are different now_.

 _Yes, yes, they are._

Regina suddenly takes a leap of fate. "Do you think it's too late for us?"

Maleficent looks directly at her. "I think we can be happy in the future or angry about the past. And I know which one I would choose."

That's when Regina kisses her. And she does it plainly because she wants too, because she can't help herself anymore. Because she's done running from the one thing that once made her so happy.

Maleficent returns the kiss. And this time around, the kiss isn't angry nor drunk. It's tender, surprisingly tender. Like the ones they used to share along time ago when Regina was a young queen.

And Regina doesn't really care that they're out in public, faintly illuminated by a streetlight. What does it matter? Since Regina was twenty, Maleficent has been a secret. Something that must not be mentioned, not be spoken off, something _forbidden_.

 _Not anymore_.

She's tired of pretending, of beating around the bush so to speak. And more importantly, she's tired of denying herself. Why keep running?

Maleficent's long, slender fingers cup her cheeks lightly as they finally pull away from each other.

Regina smiles a little as they take a moment to catch their breaths.

"Come back to me," Maleficent says softly and brushes her fingertips over Regina's cheek.

"I'm already here." Regina says. And she means it.

"No more running?" Maleficent asks and raises an eyebrow.

"No more running," Regina confirms and smiles a little.

Maleficent smiles too, and she takes Regina's hand, brings it up to her lips and kisses her knuckles gently. "My darling."

Regina's smile widens at that. The old pet name. Maleficent has called her that about a million times already, and it still warms her.

"So, what happens now?" Maleficent inquires and interlaces their fingers.

"Well… Either we go back to the party…"

"Or?" Maleficent asks and quirks an eyebrow.

" _Or_ we leave the party early," Regina says and lowers her voice conspiratorially.

The grin Maleficent flashes her is positively wicked. "I think I'd like that… little queen."

"Then let's go," Regina insist. To hell with patience. Their last "encounter" was a drunken one, and she would very much like to rectify _that_.

Maleficent laughs a little as she follows Regina down the street.

Regina has every intention of re-igniting their relationship tonight, but sadly fate has other things planned.

Halfway down Main Street, they're forced to stop. Darkness is suddenly looming over them.

"Do you feel that?" she asks Maleficent as they stop abruptly.

"Yes, I do," Maleficent says and tightens her grip on Regina's fingers.

Regina returns the squeeze. The darkness hovering above Storybrooke is almost suffocating. Like it's trying to squeeze the life out of everyone.

It would appear that the next crisis is here.

Regina sighs. "I should probably go and see what _this_ is about."

"I'll go with you," Maleficent says. "I happen to be quite familiar with darkness.

"You and me both," Regina retorts with a little smile.

And darkness or not, crisis or not, Regina has a distinct feeling that she'll be able to handle whatever life decides to throw at them next. She looks back at Maleficent over her shoulder and smiles. Yes, she can handle this. She can handle _anything_. Because she won't be handling it alone. Maleficent will be by her side. It's her and Regina now. Out in the open at last, and definitely not forbidden anymore.

 **The End.**

 **((So, that was it. Forbidden is DONE. As always, I've had a blast writing this, and right now I'm soooo tempted to write a sequel with them being in Camelot and dealing with Emma being the Dark One XD, but then again, I'm also super tempted to write more SwanQueen. Decisions, decisions. ))**


End file.
